United in brotherhood
by pingu1997
Summary: What if everything Bella had told the Cullens about her past was a lie? What if she had grown up in New York with four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and a mutant rat as a father? So if everything was a lie, then what does Bellas past and future hold?
1. Moving on and goodbyes

**A new take on Twilight and TMNT. Never been touched before if the fanfiction site is anything to go on. **

**What if Bella had grown up with out favourite mutant turtles? Means changing and tweaking a few facts, but isn't that what fanfiction is all about? **

**So Bella is getting of the plane from saving Edward, in Italy, but instead of going back with Edward she is getting picked up by her brothers, Aka our favourite turtles of all time. In TMNT world this is after they have finally defeated the Shredder, and Leo is still angry. As a result of the fight Bella will have a scar on her face, and be a little bit cold and uncaring for a while. **

**Any way on with the story, I hope you enjoy, and please review, it makes me happy XD **

Bella's point of view.

Waiting to get of the plane, I couldn't help but be impatient to leave. I had wasted three days in Italy, three days that I could be with my family, helping to look after my brothers.

I was in no fit shape to be in forks, I should have been at the farm house with my brothers and sensei, helping them recover while I helped myself.

I had gone back to forks to collect the rest of my belongings, to bring them home. I only moved in with Charlie to have an education. Charlie and Renee were friends of my sensei's sensei. Master Yoshi had met them when he first moved to New York. Charlie and Renee had agreed to pose as my parents while I finished a normal education.

I was only in Forks for a couple of days, collecting my possessions and tying up any loose ends. I had said after the fight with the Shredder that I was never going to leave my family again.

So imagine my surprise when Alice turns up at my door, and then learning that Edward thought I was dead. Rushing of to Italy to stop my ex-boyfriend from killing himself was not on my timetable.

I had managed to get a message to Donnie, telling him what had happened, and when I would be arriving back in America, but apart from that I have had no other contact with him.

I didn't even know if they were coming with April and Casey to collect me. Part of me hopes they are, but then again part of me hopes that they stayed at the farm.

I have collected new scars from our final fight with the Shredder. I have some across my arms, but I also have a slash across my cheek. Its still red, but fading, you can tell just by looking at it that it will scar.

I haven't slept in a while. I don't know the exact amount of time, but I know that I can last a few more hours before I will need to rest, even if it is only for a couple of hours.

Leaving the plane, I can tell Edward and Alice are shooting worried glances at me when they think I am not looking. I haven't told them anything about my brothers or my real past. How could I? I would never put my brothers at risk like that, not unless they were present.

Its not that I don't trust the Cullen's, I do, but for fear of anyone else finding out about my brothers, I have never told them.

For instance if I had told them Aro would have read it from Alice's and Edwards minds. He would have stopped at nothing to find them. And if they had found my brothers then they would have found a way to find the Utroms.

Walking through the airport, I can sense many people looking at my scar. Ignoring them, I follow Edward and Alice towards where I assume the rest of the Cullen family are waiting.

I spot them, waiting for us not that far. When we reach them Esme places her hands on my cheeks, looking at my scar. I can see Carlisle and Jasper doing the same.

Carlisle steps forward, no doubt worried about my health.

"What happened?" He asked, replacing his wife's hands with his own. He turns my head this way and that, inspecting for infection no doubt.

"Nothing of importance Dr. Cullen. It is in the past and I would like it to stay there" I stated, moving back a step, in the process removing his hands from my face.

I see a brief flash of hurt and surprise in Carlisle and Esme's eyes before it was quickly masked by a pleasant smile.

"Of course. We should get you home, I have no doubt that Charlie is worried about you" He said, while leading us to the exit.

"I assure you that that wont be necessary Dr. Cullen. I will not be returning to Forks, and I have arranged my own form of transport." We had stepped out of the airport now, and I could see Rosalie and Emmett waiting not far away by their cars.

"You are not going back to Forks?" Esme asked, looking confused.

"No, I am returning home to be with my family. Some friends of mine will be along shortly to pick me up" I stated, trying not to be too blunt, not telling them where I am heading either.

I had noticed Rosalie and Emmett slowly come towards us, no doubt drawn in by our conversation.

"Bella…?" Rosalie asked. I turned towards her, waiting for her to continue. " I am sorry, I hope you can forgive me. I also hope that I am not part of the reason your not returning to Forks."

"There is nothing to forgive, I am not going back to Forks for the simple reason that my family needs me, I have collected all my belonging that I wish to take with me and now there is nothing left for me there"

"What about Charlie?" Edward asked, his eyes looking a bit panicked. I could tell the real question he wanted to ask was 'what about _me?' but he didn't say anything more than that. _

"_I am sorry to say that I have not been completely honest with you." I looked down while saying this. Even though I only lied to protect my family, I am not proud of lying. I looked up again "Charlie is not my father, and Renee is not my mother. I don't know who my real parents are, but I was adopted my sensei and he has raised me like I was his own. Me along with my four brothers. I cannot, and will not tell you more than this." _

_To say that they were surprised would be an understatement. They all looked absolutely shocked, even Alice, who could see and predict the future. _

_I could also see the doubt in their eyes, see them chalking down everything I had just said to lack of sleep. _

_Not particularly bothered either way if they believe me or not, I shrug and turn around, waiting for the battle shell to appear in my line of sight. _

"_Bella, come on, lets get you home" Esme places her hand on my shoulder, trying to steer me in the direction of their waiting cars. _

"_Mrs. Cullen, I have explained that I will not be returning to Forks with your family. If you do not believe what I have just said then you may call Charlie and ask him. Either way whether you believe me or not I will not be returning to Forks" _

_She looked hurt by my words, but it is the truth. I will not be going back to Forks, I will be going to New York to be with my family once again._

_True I should've been kinder with my words, but I am tired and wanting to be on my way. The sooner April and Casey get here the better. _

_Speak of the devil and he will appear. I could see a very familiar green armoured van moving towards us. Many were staring at it, trying to figure why it was here and who might be driving it. _

_They didn't have to wait long. _

_The Cullen's were surprised further when the van pulled up in front of us. Even though where it was parked was a no parking zone, we would not be stopping for long. _

_The doors opened and April came rushing towards me, embracing me in a tight hug. _

"_Don't you dare scare us like that again. Do you know how worried we were when Donnie told us you were going to Italy and then not hear anything for three days?" She demanded, not expecting an answer, and not giving me the chance to give one before hugging me tighter. _

"_Sorry April, wont happen again" I returned the hug, placing my head onto her shoulder, letting her support most of my weight. _

"_Babe, let her breath for a minute. She's tired" Casey pulled her April away from me, and brought me into a more gentle hug. May sound surprising since this is Casey Jones we're talking about, but he has always been more gentle with me, always treating me like a little sister. Even though he knows I can handle myself in a fight as well as the rest, he always makes sure that my backs covered. _

"_Hey Case" I sighed, letting myself give all of my weight over to him. He doesn't seem surprised, and supports my weight. _

"_Master Splinter is in the van." He says as he turns as to the van. _

"_Of course. I will just be a second." I turn back towards the Cullen's. They are watching us silently. I don't need to be a mind reader to know that all of them apart from Jasper and Edward are wondering whether there is something between me and Casey. _

_Though I know that Edward knows that Casey sees me as a little sister, I can tell the he is wary of him. I don't know Edwards feelings, but they do not matter. _

_I am going back to New York, and it will be very unlikely that I will see them again. _

"_As you can see, my ride home is here. So goodbye, and… thank you I suppose" I finished awkwardly. I didn't really know how to say goodbye to the people I had started to regard as a second family. _

"_Wait! Can you please tell us where you are going?" Alice asked, grabbing my wrist as I was turning around. I see Casey and April look at each other, not sure whether this is a good idea. _

"_I am going home, to New York. Its unlikely that we will see each other again, as you cant see my future anymore and our address isn't listed" I added when I saw Alice about to speak. _

_I probably shouldn't have said as much as I did, but I don't think that I will see them again. I turn to the van, climbing into the back, where my father was sitting. _

_He looks at me. He looks like he's aged ten years. He stands and embraces me, but says no words, knowing that the family outside could still here us. _

_There is a makeshift bed attached to one of the sides, not there before, but I assume that either father or April set it up on the way here. I am guided to the bed, and laid down. _

"_Sleep my daughter, your brothers are awaiting you at the farm" My father whispers to me, stroking my hair with his paw. _

_And for the following hours, I know nothing more. _


	2. Thoughts and a reunion

**I'm back with another chapter!  
>Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT or Twilight! <strong>

Splinters point of view.

Once Bella had laid down to rest, I turned towards April and Mr. Jones.

"I think it would be best, if we took our leave" I stated as I made myself comfortable in my previous seat, adjusting it just so that I could watch over my sleeping daughter.

"You got it Master Splinta" Mr. Jones said, turning on the engine and pulling onto the road.

It had been a long journey here, and my sons were eager to see their sister again.

All of them had a connection to her, a special bond that one another couldn't understand.

She calmed down my youngest son, Michelangelo. Causes him to focus and brings him to the best of his abilities. She plays games with him and encourages him to keep dreaming, even in the worst of situations.

She eases the rage inside Raphael. After a fight gone wrong or if he is just in a generally black mood, she talks him through it. On more than one occasion I have seen them meditate together.

With my second youngest son, Donatello, she just generally understands him. They discuss theories together, design new inventions. Bella understands how he thinks, which none of his brothers have been able to do on such a level.

The one I am most eager for her to return to though is my eldest son, Leonardo. He has been angry of late, acting without thought.

Bella has always been the one to practice with him late at night. Always been the one to sit down with him and talk, get him to let out the emotions he feels he is not allowed to feel as leader of our family.

She is an important part of this family. I regret sending her away, for our family had been hanging on by a thread. We had managed to hold on, function in a some what normal way. Her brothers had grown closer in her absence, but they has missed her greatly.

And so had I. I had missed her laugh, missed her gentle nature. I had missed her smile in the morning when she would bring me a cup of tea before any of her brothers had woken up.

I traced the scar she had recently received with a careful finger. She had been so brave during that battle, they all had.

Bella had fought on, even when the rest of us were fallen. A rage had taken hold of her, and a fear that her family might die for noting. She had sworn that the Shredder would fall that day, and that if we fell, we would be honourable to the last breath.

I had never been more proud of any of my children then I had been that day.

Though they are different, though they are shunned by the outside world, they were willing to give their lives so that others could survive.

I don't think any of them realise just how much the world would suffer if they were to finally fall.

Though my daughter is human, the world above shuns her. She is free to walk among humans, but she has never had a normal life.

She had been forced into the sewers, the reason I do not know, and I had found her, cowering in a corner. Discovering that she had no parents, I took her to my home, introducing her to my four sons. They quickly formed a bond, and eventually we decided that she should stay with us. She became my daughter, and became a sister, younger only to Leonardo.

Originally I had decided not to train her in the art of fighting, decided to only teach her self defence, but rather teach her in the field of healing.

But her brothers insisted that she train along side them, so I trained her to fight with both a Bow and Kakute. She also learned how to use her brothers weapons, along with how to heal.

In our final fight against the Shredder, when she was the only one standing, there was fear in her eyes. That is something that I had not seen in my daughter for a long time. Even though every time they go out to fight, they know there is a risk that one may not return home, I have never seen her fear death. But there was no mistaking the emotion. Bella, my only daughter, was terrified that her family would die in vain, that we would fail in our mission to stop our most hated enemy.

None of us have ever seen her fight like she did that day, none of us have ever seen so much hatred, fear and anger consume her. A piece of her died that day, but I think that with time, she can regain what she has lost.

So even though the shredder did not crumble that day, we did a great deed.

Michelangelo's point of view.

We all waited for them to return home.

All of us were restless, moving in some sort of way.

Master Splinter, April and Casey had gone to pick Bella up a while ago, don't ask me how long ago it was, and we had just got a phone call from April saying that they would be back in not too long.

I couldn't wait to see my big sis again, its been so long. I miss the late night feasts we used to have, or how she was the only one who could rival me in a video game competition. Or how we used to play pranks on the others!

While our bro's were great and all, don't get me wrong, I think their all awesome, there's something about Bella that just gets me, you know?

Like how she always knows when I'm worried, or when I need to sit and talk for a bit. Even Leo doesn't get it all the time.

Not to mention that she kicks but! I mean last time she saw Hun she showed him that she was not to be messed with. Unfortunately, Hun has an incredibly think head and didn't listen to her, which has caused him to walk away black and blue on more than one occasion.

Our family just needed her, to put it simply.

Looking at the clock, I see that its only been one minute since I last checked the time. Making a whining sound in the back of my throat, I look to see what my brothers are doing.

Donnie is typing on his laptop, doing what, I have no idea.

"Hey Don…what ya doing?" I would get up, but my broken legs prevent me from doing so.

"Just working on some projects that I need to finish when we return home" he says, looking up only briefly.

Looking over at Raph, I see that he's flicking through the channels on the tiny T.V that April had brought up for us to watch. Knowing that it was best not to get under his skin while he was agitated, I decided that I would for once leave him alone.

And then finally I laid eyes on my eldest brother, Leo. He was staring out the window again, glaring at anything that moved. He has been doing that a lot lately. Its almost like he's waiting for something to attack us. Or daring if that glare is anything to go by.

I was about to bother Don again, when I hear the battle shell pull up to the house. As much as I want to get up, and so do the rest of them, we all know that if we do Splinter will be mad.

So we wait impatiently while they enter the house, talking amongst them selves. After what felt like a lifetime we hear footstep coming up the stairs.

"Did you miss me?" Bella is standing at the top of the stairs, a small bag in her hand, smiling.

"Bella!" we all yell. She grinned again, dropping the bag and running towards us. As much as it hurts all of us, we pull ourselves up and meet her half way, all hugging her at once.

I think we were all laughing, even Leo. Do you now see the effect she has on us? She even made grumpy Leo laugh!

"Alright, alright! I missed you guys too!" she laughed, somehow managing to hug us all, which is quite impressive considering our shells and all.

"Of course we missed you. I mean, without you there was no one to whack Mikey upside the head for me" Raph grumbled. Had I not been on crutches, I would so have kicked him.

"Whatever Raph, your just jealous of my total awesomeness!" I grinned. Everyone just looked at me, looking at me as if I had grown two heads "what?" I shrug

Bella placed her hand on my shoulder "Keep telling yourself that Mike, keep telling yourself that" she shook her head sadly. Whatever, I'll just have to remind her how brilliant her little brother can be.

"Come on guys, April will go all mother hen in a minute if you don't get back into bed." she helps all of us back to our beds, all accept Leo, who goes back to the window.

Though she doesn't voice it, I know that she worried about us. It hasn't been that long since we defeated the shredder, and we're all still in bandages.

She still is too, I can see the bandages underneath her shirt. And the scar on her face is still faintly red. Looking at that scar makes me feel angry. My sister is the most beautiful girl that I have ever seen, and now every time she looks in the mirror she will see the shredder, and what he has done to her.

I don't think she will ever admit it, but I think that scar causes her more pain than we will ever know.

"So! What movie we gonna watch?" I ask, clapping my hands together. I see Raph face- palm and Donnie shake his head.

"Don't know Mikey, you pick. But I need to check your bandages while its playing okay?" she looks around, seeing us nod in confirmation. All except Leo. Bella frowns at him, but quickly turns back to me.

We end up watching a horror movie, not the best but it was all that April and Casey could find. Just as Bella had said she would, she went round and checked everyone's bandages. Master Splinter had come upstairs after a while, so she checked him as well. She took her time while doing them, talking quietly to each on of us. After Bella had finished with each one she gave them a hug before moving on.

When it came to Leo's turn, Bella had trouble getting him to sit down and rest so she could check him over, bet eventually she managed it. My hat of to her, none of us had been able to get him to rest unless it was a direct order from Splinter.

I noticed that there wasn't much conversation between the two, but she still gave him a tight hug when she was finished, which he returned with just as much force.

Bella left me until last, by which time the movie had ended and Master Splinter had made everyone go to bed. The only light in the room was coming from to candles Bella had lit.

"Come on Mikey, I cant change your cast today, but I can check the rest of your wounds" She said quietly, dampening a cloth and dabbing it where ever there was a cut.

"How was Forks?"

"It was fine, up until Alice turned up. And Italy was fine, if not a bit nerve racking. I'm just glad to be back home with you guys, I was worried the whole time."

"Nah, don't worry 'bout us. Us turtles can take care of ourselves for a few days." I grin, earning a laugh.

"I doubt it Mikey. Without April and Master Splinter here to keep an eye on you, I dread to think what trouble you would get into"

"Sure, sure big sis. Like you haven't ever broken the rules without us telling you to"

"True, but how many times have I had to do 50 back flips just because you wanted to ride your skate board and dragged me off with you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Alright, you got me." I hold me hands up in mock surrender. She just shakes her head at me again.

"You look to be healing just fine, a couple more weeks and you should be good as new" She puts the cloth back into the bowl, and places it onto a chest of draws behind her.

As she goes to get up, I catch her wrist in my hand, drawing her attention back to me.

"Can you…can you stay with me tonight? You've been gone such a long time and…" I look away, embarrassed.

Bella smiles at me, stroking my head. "Of course little brother, I can stay with you tonight. Budge up a bit"

I move over, and she slides in next to me, wrapping her arms around my arm and cuddling into to me. I had missed this, we haven't done this since we were kids.

"Goodnight Mikey…" She whispers, falling asleep.

"Goodnight Bella, big sis" I smile, moving down so my head was level with hers before finally falling asleep.

**That was harder than I thought it would be, so please tell me what you think! Review!  
>Pingu xx<strong>


	3. I NEED YOUR HELP!

I want to thank you all for you reviews for this story, but I have a favour to ask.

I have a new story that I am currently working on, but I don't have a name for it yet. I need your help!

Here's the deal, if you review this note, or message me with a title for my new story, if you give me your name, then the person who I think came up with the best title , I will make a character in my story. Whether you are a good or bad character is your choice!

Also the more answers I get to this note the more I will update my current stories, so if you want to see more of my writing then please put your ideas forward. It's a win, win situation for all!

But of course you can't name the story if you don't know what its about, so here's a summary of the story! The story is about Yu-Gi-Oh! So if you don't know what that is still put your ideas forward, but I would recommend finding out more about it.

Yugi and Yami are brothers, and Yami, as the eldest, is next in line for the thrown of Egypt. A dark force claims the kingdom, and the people are dying, and no one knows why. The sky is black and no sunlight can penetrate the shadows blanketing the sky.

As Yami is the next Pharaoh, he and his father work day and night to find a cause and find a way to overcome it. Whenever Yugi tries to help, he is pushed aside, but little do they know that Yugi holds the answers to banishing this evil, and he is the only one who can stop the kingdom dying, but at what price…?

So there you go, hope you like the idea, I know I do! LOL.

But please put your suggestions forward, there's no reason not to, and ultimately you will be the ones gaining.

I will not be posting this story until I have finished it, that way I can work our any mistakes, so if you want to be included then hurry!

Pingu xx


	4. Fire on the inside

**I'M SO SORRY I haven't updated sooner! I made a promise to you and I didn't keep it. I was a bit** **disappointed with the response I received to the update to 'How it came to be this way'. I only had one review. I hope that this chapter will be good for you.  
>Disclaimer: I don't own TMNT or Twilight! <strong>

**Bella's Point Of View.**

I woke early the next morning. I have never been a late sleeper. of course my siblings are still sleeping, and how can I blame them? I should be doing the same as them, but something stops me every time I try and rest.

Every time I close my eyes, I see them falling again. See the shredder standing over them, laughing. How can anyone get over such a haunting image?

Mikey was still sleeping beside me, and I look down at him. Mikey has always had a child like innocence about him, and it shines through now.

No nightmares plague his dreams. He's happy in the knowledge that all his family is safe, and that we are together again.

Sometimes I wish that I could forget, that I could throw caution to the wind and dream. I've lost count how many times I've looked at the surface world, and wished that I could walk among the passers by. Be able to walk down the street with my family, and not have to worry.

I wish that I could take Mikey to the movies, or to the Comic book store and let him buy what ever he wants.

I wish that I could take Donnie to every Museum in New York, and buy a top of the range computer for him to play with.

I wish that I could take Raph to a wrestling match and then out to get a pizza afterwards. Or that I could buy him a new bike.

I wish that I could take Leo to Japan, to see the sites, and that I could take him to places where he would forget that he is leader, even just for a second.

I wish that I could give my father somewhere comfortable to rest in his old age, somewhere that he can be at peace.

There are so many things that I wish that I could do for them, and it crushes me to know that I might not be able to do it for them.

I trace my fingers over Mickey's brow gently, careful not to wake him, and place a light kiss on his forehead. I slip out of the bed, grab some old sweats and a tank top, before heading down the stairs to use the bathroom.

The tiles are cold beneath my feet, which helps me to sharpen my senses. I can tell no one else in the house it awake, but judging from the position of the sun, it wont be long until Master Splinter and Leo are awake.

I shower as quickly as possible, knowing that I will need to treat my brothers when they finally wake. I have to be careful what I give them, but the Utroms have been kind enough to give me some of their advanced medicine should I need it.

Finishing putting my clothes on, I grab one of the hair brushes April had placed on the counter. Towel drying my hair, I run a brush through it and French plait it. I found this the easiest way to keep it, as it keeps most of my hair out of my face.

I quickly brush my teeth, and just as I am about to leave, I catch a glimpse of my reflection. The scar the shredder gave me stands out, still red. As much as I hate to look at it, I know that I need to treat it before I can treat my brothers.

It is still tender, but having received many wounds before, its bearable. What hurts the most is knowing that it will be there forever, that whenever I look in the mirror, I will see the Shredder. He finally succeeded, for I can never be rid of him.

Cleaning the wounds on my arms, and placing a thin bandage around them, I move on to the kitchen.

I decided I would do pancakes for breakfast, Donnie's favourite. Of course Mikey and Raph love all foods, but I know that Donnie loves them more than anything else.

The question is, what to do for Leo? Father had said that Leo had been unwilling to accept any kind of help, and that showed last night when I was trying to check his bandages. Father also told me that he hasn't rested much, and that he hasn't been himself.

Leo is my big brother. He's the one I turn to when I'm worried or upset. But now I realise that we all depend on him too much, and that he feels that he can't let out his emotions. Sometimes I wonder if he wants to be leader any more? And would he give it up if he was given the chance?

"You should be resting." says a familiar voice. I turn around to see Leo standing in the doorway. He's already got all of his gear on, he Katana secured onto his back.

"So should you, why don't you go back up to bed, I'll have breakfast ready in a few minuets" I say turning back to the pancakes, plating one up before pouring more batter into the pan.

"Don't worry about food for me. I'm going to practice" His words made me spin around.

"Don't you dare. Just don't. Father told me about how you've been acting, I know you need the rest, so go back upstairs." I tell him, pointing to the stairs. He looks me in the eyes, and for the first time I see how much he is hurting. Before I can say anything though he leaves the room, heading to the front door.

I don't know why this made me so angry. Maybe because I was worried about his health. Maybe because he wasn't listening to me. Maybe it was because I could finally see how much he needed help, and he was pushing me and the rest away.

Whatever the reason, it had me turning off the stove, running to the closet where Father had stored our weapons, and grabbing my Kakute and bow. I followed him out the door, loading my bow as I went, and when I reached the door, I saw him running towards the woods. I pulled back my right arm as far as it would go, and with ease that comes with many years of practice, let go.

The arrow fly's through the air, hitting the tree in front of him with a thud. He stops and turns around to stare at me, surprise written all over his face.

"Just stop. Who do you think your helping by doing this? Don't you think the rest of us are hurting? We need to be a family. The more you walk away, the more we break." I told him, now right in front of him, gripping my Katute tightly. I had dropped my bow and arrow after he had stopped.

"You don't understand. I need to do this alone." He tried to turn around again, but i grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"What part don't I understand? enlighten me! Because the way I see it, we're all going through the same thing."

"Why are you so angry? I'm just going for a run!" He shouts at me. This is why I'm so worried about him, because the big brother I knew wouldn't act like this.

"Because you seem to think that you don't need to heal, and that we'll all get over this. Don't you see that we're all in the same boat? and that to heal properly we need to rest! Do you think I want to have to watch you struggle?"

"I can take care of myself, I don't need you to look after me"

There have been many times that Leo and I have said something that we don't mean to each other, but he's never told me that he doesn't need my help, and never in such a tone. I have never before felt like I was a burden on my brother before.

To say I was hurt would be an understatement. I didn't even try and stop him when he pulled his arm out of my hand. I didn't stop him as he carried on running into the woods. He didn't look back.

I dropped my Katute on the ground, and walked away, leaving it there.

I carried on making breakfast, smiling when April and Casey joined me. I served their breakfast for them and then took a tray full of plates and glasses of milk upstairs for my wounded brothers, along with a bag of medical supplies for when they were finished.

They were all pleasantly surprised, and thanked me. I kept a smile on my face, not showing how much I was bothered by Leo's words earlier. There was only one time when I gave any indication.

"Hey Bells, is fearless leader out training again?" Raph asked me through a mouthful of pancakes, as I examined Donnie. I froze, dropping the roll of bandages I had been holding.

"Bella?" Donnie asked, looking down at me.

"Yeah, he left this morning as I was making breakfast." I picked up the roll slowly, carrying on.

"Someone should go find him, it looks like its going to rain" Donnie said, looking out the window. I look over to the where Father is standing, looking out the window. I remember the last time Leo was out on his own when it was raining. The memory still haunts me to this day.

I finish what I'm doing, tying the bandages and placing the roll back in the bag. I stood up.

"I'll go find him, I'll finish off when I get back and make some more medicine as well" I walk towards the stairs.

"Be careful, and make sure he comes home" Donnie says. I nod and run down stairs. I think about grabbing a coat or something, but the panic that something might happen to him was taking over, so I ran out the door with nothing on apart from what I'd put on this morning.

I ran through the woods, but I didn't see any signs of Leo. It had started to rain, and it was getting heavy, so heavy that it was difficult to see.

It was just like the first time he was hurt, when we didn't know where he was, and if he was okay.

Now you would think with all my training that I would be calm, be able to think things through clearly. But I haven't been functioning normally since the fight with the shredder, and now I'm a total mess.

It was also just like when He left me, searching the woods, looking everywhere, blind panic leading me.

There was a flash of lightning behind me, so I turned around, and crashed into something, sending me backwards. I braced for the impact, opening my eyes when it didn't come. I looked up to see Leo holding onto me. He lowered me to the floor, hunching over me to shield me from the worst of the rain.

This was so much like when He left me, the feeling of helplessness. Not knowing where you are, and that everything was suffocating you. Panic, nothing else but panic. I know that Leo was trying to tell me something, butI cant hear him. It's so cold.

**AHHH CLIFF HANGER! I hope you enjoyed it, I didn't really know what I was going to write for this chapter, but I think its turned out okay. PLEASE tell me what you think!  
>Pingu xx <strong>


	5. Fraying at the seems

**Hello my wonderful readers! As you have probably guessed, I am in a good mood. The reason why, is because it is a half day at school! YAY! I apologise for not updating sooner, but I hope you enjoy this chapter! xx **

**Donatello's Point Of View **

How many times must our family be ripped apart? How many times must one of us suffer, even if it is to try and heal one of our own?

Bella had gone out to find Leo, and a few minutes later I realised our grave mistake. It was raining outside, just like the first time we had nearly lost Leo.

When the glass had smashed, and he had come tumbling through, landing on the carpet with a crash, all of had been horrified. We had all feared for his life, all feared that out big brother would not return, and that his spirit had been crushed.

Though we had fought out best, the sheer numbers and the grief had simply been too much. We had been cornered into a small storage cupboard of sorts and been forced to make a cowards escape. Though it had been necessary, it went against our honour.

We watched the shop burn, and listened to our brothers laboured breathing.

If that wasn't enough for Bella to deal with, she had always been afraid of fire, though none of us are quite sure why. Master Splinter has tried to coax her into confiding in him, but it had been a failed attempt. She had refused to share, and after that we have respected her privacy, that there are just something's that are hers alone to shoulder.

You can imagine the guilt that she was feeling, and the terror.

I can't tell you what the Cullen family have done to her either. I know that she had nearly died due to a hunter, but we have never met them. We of course know what they are, and it had taken Master Splinter locking us in the lair for a week to stop us from dragging her back home.

I have never been one to pray to god, preferring to choose my own path, but now I can't help but pray. Pray that my sister and brother will come home safely.

"What's wrong Don?" April asked, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"I don't think we should have sent Bella to find Leo" I say, still looking out the window, trying to see more than a few feet ahead.

"I know she's still healing Don, but she seems okay."

"Physically yes, but even before the fight she has seemed different. Sharper, for lack of a better word. I don't know what those Cullen's did to her, as she won't talk about it, but it has changed her for the worse.

"We saw them, Splinter Casey and I. The Cullen's. They were there when we picked her up."

"How did they seem?" I asked, curious to have something that might let me help my sister.

"I can't really tell you much. All of them seemed like kind people. They were also very beautiful, just like Bella described them. Many of the people gave them a wide birth, even if they didn't realise it." She said, cocking her head to the side as she relayed the information.

"Did you talk to any of them?"

"No, it seems like Bella said everything she needed to say to them, as she climbed in the van without a further word directed towards them."

I sigh, while this was interesting, it didn't answer any of the questions buzzing around inside my mind.

"I'm worried about her. She's had so much to deal with in the last few months. I don't know what happened between her and the Cullen's. Charlie told us that they had left. He wouldn't tell us anymore than that she was crushed by it. Apparently she started training more than ever, not listening to him."

"And that's when she got called back to New York" April stated, only now was it dawning upon her. We hadn't told her everything that had happened, out of respect for our sister, but I feel that now she deserves to fully understand the situation.

"Yes. Although Master Splinter had been reluctant to call her back, he knew that we needed her. It would have also been unfair to keep her apart from it. We are her only family, imagine how devastated she would have been if we had died and she be left behind" I added when April looked like she might object to what I said.

"You know how the fight went. We nearly lost out lives. But instead of staying here and healing, Bella insisted on going back to Forks and tying up loose ends. She said that she never wanted to go back there again, and by getting a story straight she would never have to. Then the Cullen's showed up again, and she gets dragged off to Italy to face a load of blood thirsty Vampires while weak and wounded." suppressed rage had slowly seeped into my voice, and now I was glaring at the floor.

"I know Don, but she's home now, she's safe. We can focus on getting you back to strength." She soothed, rubbing my shell.

"She's not healing though. While she is slowly regaining her physical strength, I fear that spiritually and mentally she has never been weaker. Bella spends her time looking after us, just as father trained her to do. But it affects her, seeing us battered and scarred." I let out a breath, feeling tired, but relieved that I could share my worries with someone.

"We can get through this. We are family, we support each other. If I know anything about you guys, its that you never let one of your own down. You'll always catch each other when you fall." April gives my shell one last pat as she moves towards the kettle, preparing to make her self a mug of coffee by the looks of it.

"I suppose your right, but this isn't going to be easy." I say as I look back out the window. Still no sign of either of them.

"You should rest Don, you can still look out for them at the kitchen table." She tells me as she sits down her self.

I sigh once again as I settle myself down opposite her. We talk about anything and everything. Inventions that I'm hoping to start on soon, how the shop is keeping, even how Casey's motor bike. Through all of this, I keep an eye on the window, searching for a sign of my siblings, but there is none. Rain continues to poor down, hitting the window and thrashing against the ground.

Just as I am about to get up and search for my father, to request permission to search for our missing members, I see two figures stumble out of the woods. Though the details are blurred from the distance between us and the rain, the outline clearly tells me that its Leo and Bella.

I jump up from my seat, registering that it falls backwards and hit's the tiled floor, and rush from the room. I run out the front door, not caring that it was now thundering and that I would probably catch a cold after this. I run to them, and latch on to my brother as he stumbles. I look at his face and see the pained and distressed look upon it. I then look down to see the slim form of my sister balanced in his arms, pale with lips a light shade of blue.

I rush them towards the house, April ushering them in as we go.

"What happened?" I ask as I take Bella in my arms and speed towards the sofa, gently placing her down and grabbing blankets to place on top of her.

"I don't know. I was returning home when she crashed into me. She fell so I caught her. She said something, and then she passed out. I kept trying to get her to respond to me, but she just wouldn't. So I carried her back." Leo relayed to me, standing over her head with a panicked expression. He knelt by her head and started to run his hand over her hair, saying things that I could not hear. Not that I was focussing on him enough to be bothered about it.

Bella was alarmingly cold, but that could be cured. She just need hot fluids and a warm surrounding. I checked her wounds, and they were all still clean and bandaged. The main concern was getting her to wake up again.

By now the rest had integrated into the room, waiting for me to say something while I worked silently. Finally I rested my head over her.

"April. Make some soup and hot drinks, and get me some medicine. Casey, get me some more blankets. Raph stock the fire and get it going as much as you can. Master Splinter I need your help." I reeled off, watching as everyone set about their appointed task.

"What do you need my son?" He asked as he knelt by my side. He reached out a paw and placed it over Bella.

"She should be fine, but I need her to wake up. Can you try and reach her? See if you can't get her to wake up long enough for me to get her some medicine and hot fluids."

"I'll try. She will be fine if I can manage this?" He asked as he prepared himself to meditate.

"If you can get her to wake up, then I'm positive that she will be healthy in a matter of days." I assure him as I accept the required things from April and Casey. By now Raph, with the help of Mikey had managed to get a fire going.

As Master Splinter sank deeper into meditation, I draped more blankets over Bella. I turned to Leo.

"You need to warm up too, and take some pain killers." I tell him, but he shakes his head.

"I'm fine" is all he says.

"Leo, the reason this has happened is because we have all been unwilling to accept help from others, some more so" I give him a pointed look as I say this. "We all need to take care of each other and ourselves. So please, do as I say." I finish, looking briefly at our father and Bella to see if there is any change. None so far.

I looked back to see a torn expression on Leo's face. Whatever he was battling with before, it was loosing to the side of him which wanted to protect his family and do what I said. After a couple of tense moments he gave in, accepting the blanket that April was offering him. He lowered himself to the wooden floor, sitting close to the fire but so he could see Master Splinter and Bella perfectly. April handed him a hot drink, I don't know what, and what I presume to be painkillers. He took them quickly, settling himself in for what I hoped wouldn't be a long wait.

Master splinter wasn't moving, accept for the steady rise and fall of his chest. I hated to put this on him, as he was so tired as of late, but he was the only one able to connect with us on a mystical plane. Bella was slowly starting to gain some colour, though she still looked pale. Though I hope that this can be remedied once she has woken up.

Raph had moved and was sitting besides Leo, resting as I'm sure that his ribs were bothering him. Mikey was sitting down on one of the available chairs in the room, scratching his legs when he thought that April wasn't paying attention. April and Casey were standing together, holding hands. We were all in the room, all offering as much support as we could, although silent.

I don't know why, but I felt that this was a step in the right direction to healing our family.

**Right, I hope you enjoyed that, I know that I enjoyed writing it. I'm afraid that you still don't know how Bella is, but you do know that she is safe. I'll try and update as soon as I can! Please review, I turned 14 last month, so think of it as a late birthday present!  
>Pingu xx <strong>


	6. Struggling emotions

**Hello! I'm sorry for not updating sooner, but I've been having problems at school, and also my social life is getting a little hectic. But, I hope you enjoy this chapter!  
>I do not own TMNT or Twilight, just the plot line. <strong>

**Leo's point of view. **

This wasn't meant to happen. Things were supposed to get better after we defeated the Shredder. But instead it feels as if everything is falling apart.

I didn't want to burden my family, put them through more pain than what they were already going through. That's why I have not shared my feelings with my family. I have kept it bottled inside, shadowing my emotions with anger. I am angry, but more than anything I am scared, or I was.

In one instant my family was nearly wiped from existence. At the hands of our most hated enemy we nearly fell.

I cant describe the terror and rage I felt when I saw my family fall around me one by one. The shame and desperation I felt when I crumpled to the ground.

We were willing to give up our lives to stop him, to make sure that no other blood was spilt in the name of the Shredder. Although we knew that there was a chance that the Foot would manage to carry on, without the Shredder to command them they would eventually disperse.

The Utroms were the ones to save us. I will forever be thankful to them, they saved my family when I could not.

I know this does not excuse what I have done now. My only sister is lying on the makeshift bed in front of me, My father at her side, while the rest of my family waits with strained emotions.

We had fought, and I knew that she was only worried about me, which makes me feel even worse about what I said to her. To tell her that I don't need her, after all she has done for me, is something that I will regret for the rest of my life.

There was a slight moan, that immediately caught my attention. It seems that Master Splinter had managed to get hold of Bella, as she was now slowly stirring.

Instantly the attention of everyone in the room was caught. Donnie was hovering over her instantly, shielding her from our view. Words were exchanged in hushed whispers. Donnie quickly gave her the required medicine that April had placed beside him. Father was still kneeling by them, though hunched over considerably. If it had been anything other than this, I would have protested Dons choice of asking our father to assist him, but I can see that it was necessary.

I can only assume that April had been thinking the same as me, as she appeared at his side and gently guided him to a seat in the corner in the room, not that far from where Raph and I were stationed.

"Go to sleep now. One of us will be here when you wake up." Donnie told Bella gently. My vision instantly snapped back to them. Dons hand was gently stroking her forehead. From what I could see, she smiled gently at him, and closed her eyes.

"I will need to tend to everyone's wounds and see that Father is put to bed. Casey, can you look after Bella for awhile?" He pleaded, slowly rising to his feet. Though I had not seen it before, I could now see how terribly tired he was. Donnie's shoulders were hunched over, his muscles tense. For lack of a better word, he looked defeated.

"Sure thing man, I needed an excuse to tell Bell bout all the trouble I've been in" He joked, dragging a chair over and dropping into it. I saw April send him a disapproving look, but Casey paid no attention.

"Everyone else up to bed. And I do mean everyone" Donnie directed the last comment at me, and I was more than happy to oblige. I knew that I would have to explain, and though I would rather not, I owed it to my family.

Slowly we all managed to get to the attic, Mikey and Raph bickering the entire way in hushed whispers. One we were all to our respective places, April and Don made their rounds with the medicine, April had to keep slapping Mikey's hand, as he kept scratching his leg underneath the cast.

"I'm not expecting an explanation from you tonight. I would be much happier if you would rest and have a good nights sleep for a change." I looked to see Don kneeling by the bed, preparing some medicine. When he saw my mouth open in protest, he quickly interrupted me. "I know Leo, and she will be fine. You will have a clearer head in the morning, then you will be able to focus. This has gone on for long enough, and I think we are all ready to discuss and move on."

"I'm sorry" I hung my head, not being able to think of anything else to convey how I felt. My head was starting to become fuzzy, an effect of lack of sleep.

"I know you are, no one blames you for what happened tonight. We all have issues that we need to work out, and tomorrow we will all be able to voice them." He patted my shoulder. "April is seeing to Father, so I'm going to head to bed for a little while, before taking watch over Bella." He went to pull away, but I stopped him before he could.

"You should rest yourself. I can see how tired you are, and it will eventually effect you. Casey and Bella will be fine on their own. With Bella resting, it wont be long before both of them are asleep." I assured him. Though I could tell it went against every instinct of his, he slowly nodded.

"I'll go check with Casey and see if he's okay with this." With a final pat on my shoulder, he left the attic, turning the lights of behind him. I lowered myself to the pillows, fighting against sleep until I heard the familiar footsteps that were Don heading towards his bed.

It wasn't long before darkness claimed me as well.

* * *

><p>When I woke the next morning, the sun was already high in the sky, and a glance at the clock confirmed that it was eleven o'clock. It was unusual for me to sleep later than dawn, as training usually begun not long after. So many years of the same routine had me accustomed to waking in the early hours of the morning.<p>

"Finally awake I see. You were more exhausted than I had first thought." Don said from the stairs, leaning against the railings.

"I guess I needed the sleep." I rubbed me head, still slightly fuzzy. I slowly sat up, looking around the room, which was vacant apart from Don and I. "I'm assuming that the others are already awake and downstairs?" Don nodded, a slight smile on his face.

"They woke a few hours ago. Bella is awake also, though I have told her she is not to move from the sofa."

"How many times has she gotten up?" I asked, knowing that she would be fighting tooth and nail to be up and about.

"Three times. I've had to hide her weapons away, and made Raph and Mikey sit on either side of her. She's not very happy with me." He chuckled.

"I would imagine she's not. Especially if she has those two next to her." I laughed quietly. Like all of us, Bella hated to be kept in one place. If you told her she could not train, she would do anything to train. She is not as rebellious as Raph, but a similar fire does drive her. She shares qualities with each of us, so it is hard to compare her to one single person. But if there is one thing I am sure of, its that she was meant to be free.

"You missed breakfast, but lunch should be ready in an hour. In the mean time you can wash and meet us downstairs." While in my thoughts, Don had come to stand next to me, gently pulling me up. I didn't protest, letting him help me down the stairs and into the bathroom. Since our bandages were only to be changed ever other day, or not for six weeks in Mikey's case, we had to be careful while washing.

Once washed, I slowly put my gear on and moved to the kitchen to make myself some tea. Normally I would be in the forest or the barn training by now, but I had promised my family an explanation, and I intended to give them one.

"I'm surprised by your sudden change in attitude" I twisted around to see Bella standing in the door way, dressed in sweat pants and a tank top. She had a small smile on her face, clearly pleased she had managed to catch me unaware.

"I thought you weren't meant to leave the sofa?" I raised an eye ridge at her, not answering her previous statement."What did you bribe Mikey and Raph with?"

"Cookies, April has hidden them high up so neither of them can reach the tin. I know where it is, so I made a deal with them, they get the cookies they want so desperately and I get a few moments alone with you." She walked into the room, reaching onto the higher shelves to retrieve the cookie jar.

"So as I was saying, I'm surprised your not in the forest training by now." She looked at me from the corner of her eye.

"I slept in late. Don is over worked and worried as it is, he doesn't need me adding to that stress any more."

"Hmmmm I agree. I have been worried about Donnie over the last couple of weeks. I think the only thing keeping him ticking is all the coffee. I might make him take a few days off soon, let me and April worry about the medicine for now. After all, its what I have been trained to do." she trailed off thoughtfully. She had stopped moving for a second, looking towards the counter, but I didn't think she was seeing the six cookies she had removed from the tin. As I was about to reach over and shake her, the kettle clicked, telling me that the water had finished boiling. She suddenly snapped out of it, continuing to count the biscuits. I poured the water into the mug, but I didn't make any move to leave.

"I'm sorry for yesterday. I should not have behaved the way I did."

"And neither should I. But I think that last nights events helped us, as stupid as that sounds. We have all come to accept that we need to support each other. I know what Don is planning for today, and I think it is a good idea." She smiled at me, a genuine smile.

"If I asked you to forgive me..." I didn't get to finish my sentence.

"I would reply that there is nothing to forgive." She told me warmly, wrapping her arms around me, laying her head on my right shoulder gently. I moved my arm to wrap around her shoulders, squeezing her lightly.

"As touching as this is, I did order bed rest, dear sister of ours." Don said, hands on hips. Bella looked at him, pulling away slightly, but not entirely, and stuck her tongue out at him.

"You seem to fail to remember who is the resident medic in this household, little brother. I think that I am more than fit enough to give our sibling here a hug, and I also deem myself fit enough to pull you into one also if necessary." She giggled.

"You will never change." I looked down at her and shook my head.

"And that is exactly why you will never stop loving me, so I say we move this little party into the living room before I have to cranky brothers without cookies" She stated, moving away and placing the cookies in question onto a plate.

"You got that right!" Came Mikey's voice from his position on the couch. Bella just laughed, jogging out of the kitchen, just as April came in through the back door. My eyes darted towards to the jar of biscuits that Bella had forgotten to put back in the cupboard. Donnie followed my line of vision, and discreetly moved towards the coffee pot, which was behind the jar. With his body shielding it, April didn't get a glimpse of it.

"Bella and the boys still in the living room?" She asked before she left the room. I looked at Donnie, waiting to see what his answer would be. Don never liked lying to anyone, least of all April.

"Haven't seen them since I last checked on them. I have on the other hand, heard them arguing over the remote." He lied easily, not looking her in the eye, pretending to focus on the coffee machine. I saw April raise an eyebrow, but quickly shrugged and carried on out the door. I heard a sigh from next to me.

"Sometimes I feel like she sees right through me...though sometimes I think all of you can" He wiped a hand over his eyes. I was about to ask him if he was okay, when he shook his head and grabbed the jar and placed it back in the cupboard in its previous position.

"Come on, I fear if we leave those three unattended for too long, we might only have one other sibling left." He grabbed his mug, motioning for me to follow him. As much as I was not looking forward to this 'family meeting', I knew in the long run it would help us heal. I followed Donnie into the living room, seeing that my siblings were all squashed onto the sofa. The sight was almost funny.

"Dude, I know you want to have this deep, emotional talk with all of us, but can it wait for...10 mins? Justice force is on" Mikey pleaded with Don, his eyes widening dramatically.

"May as well wait and let him watch it Don. Otherwise the pea brain wont be able to concentrate, and he will be whining all afternoon." Raph told him, gaining a glare from Mikey, but he soon went back to pleading with Don using his eyes.

Sighing, Don reluctantly agreed "Ten minutes Mikey, but if its not finished, I will turn it off myself" He warned, lowering himself into a chair near the window. There weren't many seats in the room, and most of them had been occupied already, but there was a small bench on the opposite side of the room. It meant that I was out of view of Don and Raph, but this didn't bother me. If anything, I was glad about this fact. Don wasn't the only one who sometimes felt as if the family could see right through him.

**And there we have it! Another chapter, and again, sorry for it being late. I hope you enjoyed, and please review!  
><strong>**Pingu xx**


	7. Discussions and Confusion

**Hello again! I'm on a roll with this story, two updates in the same week! Sorry that I haven't updated my first story, 'how it came to be this way' in a long time, but I really want to focus on this story, and I'm in the middle of writing two others as we speak! Hopefully when I have them finished and published here, it will make up for the lack of updates!  
><strong>**I do not own TMNT or Twilight, just the plot lines! **

**Edwards point of view. **

"I want to talk to Charlie" I demanded, being held back by my brothers. We had returned home after Bella left, and I wanted some answers. This whole situation was ridiculous. Bella had four brothers? Charlie wasn't her father? She lived in New York?

"While I understand your concern Edward, there are obviously things that we don't know." Carlisle said, sat on the sofa with Esme curled into his side. My family was gathered in the living room. Everything was still in place, apart from a few sentimental items.

"Alice, can you see her future? There must be something that can help us." I pleaded to my sister, but she shook her head.

"I haven't been able to see her future since we left. And I still cant see it now."

"There must be something that we know. She's obviously been hurt since we left, she never had those scars before."

"Actually Edward, I recognise some of those scars. I've seen Bella changing a few times, and helped her shower when she broke her leg. There's quite a few scars on her body. Most of which I think are from a blade." Alice told me, her eyes distant.

"But where would she get them from? And why didn't you mention this before?" I growled towards her. Jasper pulled me back, growling at me lowly.

"Every time I asked about them, she would either change the subject or say, its in the past. She seemed fine, so I never saw any reason to be concerned." She shrugged.

"If Bella had four brothers, don't you think she would have told us about them? Why have we never seen pictures of them? If Charlie wasn't her father, then why did she move to live here? There are so many things that don't make sense, and the only way we are going to find out the truth, is if we talk to Charlie." I reasoned. I could feel Jasper controlling my emotions, as I was calmer than before.

"Maybe she has something she wants and needs to protect" Emmett said. When we all threw him a confused look, he rolled his eyes and continued." Think about it, we don't tell anyone about what we are, for our own protection and the protection of those around us. Maybe Bella has a similar situation. Even we haven't told her everything about our kind, but that's because she already knows so much about us. If Bella has something she wants to protect, and I'm guessing that's her brothers, I say we don't question her." We all gave him stunned looks. "What? Just because I don't read loads of books or contemplate things for hours, doesn't mean that I don't think."

"Emmett is right. While we all want to know what's happening, maybe it is for the best if we leave it alone." Esme cut in, smiling at Emmett.

"I think Carlisle should be the one to decide." Rose said. When she saw my glare, she continued." Its only fair Edward. He cares about Bella as well, but he's not going to let his feelings cloud his judgement." She finished, looking towards Carlisle. He sighed, closing his eyes.

"I can see that you are not going to let this lie until you have your answers, Edward. We will speak to Charlie in the morning, but don't expect him to tell you much. From what I have heard, our absence caused allot of grief for Bella, and by extension him. He's not going to be happy to learn of our return."

"I know, and I understand this Carlisle." I replied, finally being released by my brothers. I started to pace back and forth across the floor.

"We will all go to speak to Charlie, show that we are united. But I am warning you now Edward, if Charlie refused to answer our questions, or he does not give you the answers you wish for, you are not to read his mind" Carlisle said, and at my look of anger, continued."If he doesn't answer, then there will be a reason behind it. We are not going to force answers out of him, and if he is not willing to answer us, then we leave it be. I know you have troubles reading his mind anyway, as he shares some of the same ability as Bella. No exceptions on this one, we have caused Charlie and Bella enough problems. We are not going to press our presence where it is unwanted." He finished, pinning me with firm look. Even his thoughts were firm, leaving no room for argument.

I nodded, and left the room without further comment. Once I had left, I could hear the others start to talk. I headed to my room, which was the same as I had left it, minus the CD collection that I had decided to take with me when we left. I thought it would bring me some comfort, but they brought little, if none at all. There was no comfort from the endless pain. I had thought I wad lonely before I had met Bella, but once I had felt the happiness that being love could bring, the feeling of being complete. When I had come to the decision to leave, I felt hollow. When I walked away from her in the forest, my legs felt like lead.

I tried distracting myself by hunting down Victoria, but I wasn't much good at it. Everyday I missed her more and more, but I refused to go back to her, believing she was better off without me. The I received the phone call from Rose, telling me that Bella was dead, that she had killed herself. I have never felt such intense pain, and I have no words to describe it.

The only thing I could think of was that I needed to be with her. I wanted to die.

I would have died if it wasn't for her. She came to Italy, ran right into a middle of a city overflowing with my kind, and saved me. I didn't see her scar at first, all I could focus on was that she was alive and breathing. It wasn't until much later that I noticed how tired she looked. That I noticed the scars lacing over her arms, and the slight padding around her torso and stomach that were bandages. Then I noticed the scar on her cheek, stretching from near the bottom of her eye all the way to below her jaw.

She was different also. More reserved, distant. When I tried to comfort her, she pulled away. The way she held herself had changed also. She walked proudly, her shoulders back and her head held high. She walked with a grace that could rival a vampire, and that I never thought she could possess.

What had happened to the awkward and shy teenager I was in love with? Would she ever stumble again so that I could catch her? I don't know I had missed it before, but her muscles were more defined, still feminine, but stronger than she had been, and definitely stronger than the average human of her age.

She spoke with confidence, never showing her fear. Her heart rate never picked up, not once. She wasn't afraid, where as any normal, rational human would be. This amazed, frightened me and angered me at the same time. What had happened to make her this way? She wasn't the Bella I knew. She almost looked emotionless. Though she was more confident and proud, I had the impression that she had never been more broken.

The plane ride home was quite. Both Alice and I tried to convince Bella to rest, but she refused, stating that she was fine and would be able to make it home. We didn't believe her, but she managed it. She sat straight the whole time, almost on edge. I think she studied everyone on the plane, though most of the other humans were already sleeping. Alice spoke to Jasper throughout, assuring him that she was fine, and relaying the events that had just occurred. I knew that when I got back, I would have to explain to my family. I was also hoping to have the opportunity to explain my reasons for leaving to Bella, as she deserved it most.

When we landed, Bella was impatient to leave the plane. Now that everyone was awake, they stared at her. They turned to their companions and whispered behind hands, not that it disguised it at all, if anything it made it all the more obvious. Bella still stood tall, not showing her irritation, though it was most definitely there, under the calm façade. Once we were allowed of the plane, I tried to support her, thinking that though she might have been graceful a few hours previous, exhaustion would be taking its toll.

Yet again, she proved me wrong. She refused to let Alice or I help her, walking with the same grace she had displayed earlier. As soon as we reached my family, Esme embraced me while Carlisle expressed his concern for the newest scar that Bella had acquired. Bella dismissed his concern.

When she explained that Charlie wasn't her father, none of us believed her. Tried to convince her to let us take her home so she could rest, though she stood firm. When she said that she was returning home to New York to be with her four brothers, we all assumed she had gone mad. Bella told us she didn't care whether she believed us, and that soon her 'transport' would be collecting her. She also told us that she could call Charlie and ask him, and that he would assure us that she was telling the truth.

Rosalie apologized for her attitude and actions towards Bella before we left, and also for all the trouble she had caused her over the last three days. She thanked Bella for saving me, and wished that she wasn't part of the reason she was not returning to Forks. Bella assured her that she wasn't, and that she was forgiven. Bella then told us that her transport home would soon be arriving.

It didn't take long for her 'transport to arrive'. I can't express to you my surprise of seeing a large green armoured truck pull to a stop in front of Bella. As soon as the vehicle was stationary, the doors flew open and a red haired girl rushed towards Bella, embracing her strongly. The woman mentioned someone named 'Donnie', but the name held no meaning for me. The woman's name was April, which seemed fitting with her red/pinkish hair and green eyes.

A tall, muscled man emerged from the van, taking Bella into his arms. It was obvious that Bella trusted him allot, more than me, as she let him support her full weight. She named him as Casey. I would have felt jealousy towards him, but his thoughts were innocent, expressing that he saw her as a little sister and that he was glad she was safe. He whispered in her ear 'Master Splinter is in the van', anad again, the name held no meaning.

Bella turned round and said goodbye and thank you. Alice asked where she was going, and she informed us that it was unlikely that we would see each other again as her address wasn't listed and that Alice would no longer be able to see her future. We all shot panicked looks towards 'April' and 'Casey', but they didn't look phased at her comment, just looked at us and rolled their eyes.

I hadn't noticed it before, but there was another heartbeat coming from the van. But it wasn't human. If I focused, I could smell the scents of the humans, and hear their hearts. But this was different, his scent wasn't appealing at all, and his heart was slower, calm and relaxed. My first thought was, this person wasn't human, but then what could it be?

She climbed into the van, and Casey shut the door behind her. We saw her climb into the back, and hear her embrace whoever was in the back. It took a second, but this other person spoke. It was a male, and I'm assuming this was the 'Master Splinter' that had been mentioned before. He had a soothing voice, aged and wise. He said 'Sleep my daughter, your brothers are awaiting you at the farm'. So Bella was telling the truth, but it still didn't make sense.

"Before 'April' and 'Casey' climbed back into the van, Casey approached me.

"I know who ya are, as Bella had told us all about you and your family, about what ya are. You have no idea how much pain you caused her. Me and her brothers aren't happy with you, and we're not afraid to get our hands a little dirty. Bella means everythin to us, so unless she gives ya the okay, ya leave her alone. Understand me punk?" He told me, glaring at me. Though I knew that I would not have a problem beating him in a fight, I had no doubt that he would fight with everything he had to protect her. I was glad that she had a friend like him, but he didn't strike me as intelligent. He knew what we were, yet he still challenged us?

"Come on Casey, the guys will be getting impatient for us to get back" April said, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the truck. By this time, Bella had already fallen asleep. When 'master Splinter' gave the word, they drove away. My family and I stood watching them drive away, wondering just what other secrets Bella had been keeping from us.

**And there we have it! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I thought I would express things from Edwards point of view, and give you a tiny idea of what is to come! Please Review!  
><strong>**Pingu xx**


	8. Warnings and Unity

**Sorry for the long time gap between updates, but hopefully this chapter will make up for it! I've been so busy this summer that I haven't had a spare moment to even think about writing! I'll be starting my GCSE courses in September, so I'm afraid that you might have to wait longer for updates, but I promise to update as much as possible!  
>Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or TMNT, but the words are all my own! <strong>

**Edwards Point Of View**

Though I voted for simply running to Charlie's house, Carlisle insisted that we should drive, to give a sense of normalcy. Usually I would agree with his decision, being used to driving cars everywhere except for when hunting, but today the cars seemed slower than ever, adding to my frustrations. The night had been tortuously slow, with my mind racing about everything that had happened.

"If you don't calm down, we're not going to get any answers from Charlie" Jasper told me, looking at me from the front seat of the car. I had opted to ride with Jasper and Alice, as I hoped that Jasper would be able to calm me some, though it didn't seem to be working much. Also Carlisle had been sending me warning glances all night, reminding me that I was not to read Charlie's mind under any circumstances. While normally I would never go against his wishes, I fully intended to listen to any thoughts that Charlie might let slip. Charlie seemed to have the same ability as Bella, so I doubt that I will receive much anyway. Now that I think about it, there were very little thoughts coming from the red haired female that picked Bella up, and no thoughts at all from the person that remained inside the van.

"I doubt he will answer any of our questions, he's never liked me much" I tell him, looking outside the window yet again to see where we were.

"Charlie will answer our questions, just not all the ones we desire. There are some blank spots in the future, so we will have to wait and see what happens." Alice told us, glancing at me quickly before concentrating on the road again. Carlisle was driving ahead of us with Esme, Emmett and Rosalie.

Minuets later we pulled into Charlie's drive, and we were walking towards the front door. Esme Knocked on the door, and we waited for an answer. We knew that he was home, as the police cruiser was parked outside and we could hear his heartbeat along with the sounds of today's game on the t.v.

Footsteps approached, and the door swung open. At first Charlie wore a smile, but it dropped into a scowl as soon as he saw that it was us.

"I figured that you would come calling round here at some point. I haven't got anything to say to you." He grunted, preparing to shut the door. Esme put her hand on the door, not pushing it open, but preventing it from closing.

"Please Charlie, I know that we don't deserve any answers you can give us, but we wouldn't be here unless we cared and were worried about Bella." She pleaded. Charlie looked at her face, then looked past her at me. I'm not sure what he saw, but he opened the door, and walked back into his house. Though he was obviously reluctant, we stepped inside and followed him.

Charlie had settled himself into his armchair, and motioned for us to sit down, though there was very limited seating. Esme, Carlisle and Alice sat on the sofa, while the rest of us stood behind them.

"Thank you Charlie." Carlisle said, leaning forward. Charlie turned of the t.v, and turned to face us.

"Ask your questions and then get out." He said bluntly. Normally we wouldn't stand for being spoken to in such a manor, but now wasn't the best time for pride.

"My family and I are confused about some things that Bella said to us when we last spoke to her, and why has she not returned here." Esme said.

"I have spoken to Bella since she returned to New York. She's told me the information that she's told you. I assume that you are referring to the fact that Bella is not my daughter?" Charlie raised an eyebrow at us.

"Yes. You must understand why we find that hard to believe. And that Renee is not her mother, it just doesn't make sense. Why would she lie about something like that? When Bella had her accident, Renee was there, and she acted like her mother, but if she is not her mother, then where are Bella's real parents?" Carlisle asked.

"Even Bella doesn't know the answer to that. She doesn't remember her parents, she never has been able to" Charlie nodded, waiting for us to continue.

"That might be true, but why would she pretend that you were her father? It seems like you have all gone through allot of trouble to make this look convincing" Carlisle stated, keeping his voice as level as possible. But the others and I could hear the frustration behind his words. Carlisle had come to love Bella like a daughter, so to find out that she had been lying about her past was just as upsetting to him as it was to the rest of us.

"Bella has a very complicated situation, even I am not allowed to know all the details. I'm assuming that she told you she has four brothers?" When we all nodded, he continued "I have never met them or seen them, but from the way that Bella talks about them, they are great people, who would do anything to protect her. She also has a father that I have never seen before, but none of this is the connection between me and Bella. Her father had a master, names Yoshi Hamato, he lived in New York. Renee and I met him whilst we were on holiday there, he saved us from a mugging. We stayed in contact with him right up to his death." Charlie looked down at the floor, clenching his hands. I looked over to Jasper to see that he had the same pained expression as Charlie.

"I'm sorry that this is hurting you Charlie" Esme said, leaning forward to pat his hands. Eventually Charlie relaxed, with the help of Jasper I'm sure.

"It was a long time ago, but he was a great man. Anyway, a few years later Bella called and said that she was the 'granddaughter of Yoshi Hamato'. At first I didn't believe her, as Yoshi had never once mentioned having any children, but she soon proved that she was who she said. Bella asked if she could stay here for awhile, so she could have an education. As far as I know, she and her brothers are very well educated, all excelling in different areas, but they all excel in martial arts"

At the last comment, Emmett burst into laughter, and we all through sceptical looks towards Charlie, wondering whether we were talking about the same Bella swan.

"You have to be kidding me right? Bella Swan? She couldn't throw a punch to save her life" Emmett scoffed, not believing a word of it. I was inclined to agree, but now that I think about it, there was a faint muscle toning underneath her skin, but nothing unusual for a teenager to have. And judging by Alice and Carlisle's thoughts, they thought the same.

"She may seem clumsy, but I've seen her handle a weapon before, and you would not want to be on the receiving end, trust me. And her name isn't Bella Swan, its Isabella Marie Hamato, just as her brothers and father are Hamato." Charlie informed us, looking less than pleased with us all.

"Do you know the name of her brothers and father?" Carlisle asked. He was going to look through all records to see if he could find any trace of who these people were.

"Bella hasn't ever mentioned the name of her father, she always addressed him as either 'Master' or 'Father'. But she did name her brothers. The eldest is named Leonardo, he is the leader of the family after their father, then Bella is the second eldest and the medic, then there is Raphael who is second in command, Donatello who is the resident scientist of the group, and finally there is Michelangelo who is the youngest, I'm not sure what his rank in the group is."

By the way Charlie spoke, it seemed as if they we're more of a team than a family. What kind of family has a second in command or a resident scientist? Something was just not right here. Though we all knew that Carlisle was the head of the family, or clan, such status's did not normally occur in human families.

"We are worried about Bella" I finally spoke, instantly getting the attention of everyone in the room. "We are worried that Bella is not safe. When we last saw her, there we bruises and cuts scattered on her body. She is obviously not safe in that kind of environment" I was pacing by now. I wanted them to understand that if Bella was receiving such injuries then she should be as far away as possible from those kind of people.

"You have no room to talk. After a matter of days of our meeting, Bella had run off to Phoenix and was in Intensive Care! How dare you say that she is not safe with her family!" Charlie thundered, and I couldn't help but flinch at his words. He spoke the truth, I had been no better at protecting Bella, I has caused her harm. I was not going to give in so easily though, I was going to fight until I knew she was safe and away from harm. But as soon as I opened my mouth to reply, Charlie stopped me.

"Bella has told me that you are not normal, she even told me that she worried for my and her families safety after her birthday party at your house. From the sounds of it, you are more of a threat to her than anyone else on this planet. I don't want to know what you are, and nor do I care. But if you threaten Bella or her family, you will regret it. Bella has told me that she would be proud to die to protect her family, and I have no doubt that her brothers feel the same way. They have never abandoned her when things have got tough, but you ran away when things seemed to a little too difficult for you to manage." He spat the last words, now standing on his feet and glaring at me that left no doubt that if he could shoot me, he would.

I heard a low growl, and looked to see Rosalie clenching her fists and glaring at Charlie. Emmett had his hand around her wrist, ready to pull her back if she tried to hurt him.

"I don't know what Bella has told you, but I can assure you there is nothing abnormal about my family. We only want to help Bella, and we will do everything we can to make sure that she is safe!"I was seething by now. I wasn't getting the answers that I so desperately needed and wanted. Carlisle sent me a warning in his thoughts, telling me that I needed to calm down, but I didn't pay any attention to him. I was not leaving here without the knowledge of Bella's whereabouts.

"I welcome you to try and find her, but if you really want her to be safe, then you will leave her alone. She may lead a dangerous life, but as far as I can tell, she is more than happy with it. She doesn't need you and your family getting involved. I don't give a rats ass whether your family is normal or not, but I will warn you now, you may be strong, and you may be fast, but one thing I do know about Bella and her family, they will find a way to destroy you if you threaten them" He sat back down in his chair, clearly satisfied with the words that he had said, but it had had more of an effect then he thought it would.

"Is that a threat against our family?" Rosa hissed, every muscle in her body tensed and reading to pounce. Emmett was now tightly gripping her arm, silently warning her to calm down.

"I am not threatening your family, but you and your family are threatening Bella's happiness and safety. I am warning you now, if you insist on tracking her down, do not expect a happy ending." He said calmly, which made her tense even more.

This was not what I expected to hear. I was expecting to hear that Charlie himself had concerns about her safety, and that he would be pleased if we found her and brought her home. This whole situation was ridiculous. But the honesty and the total certainty in his eyes when he warned us about going after her, it sent a cold shiver down my spine. I knew somewhere deep down that pursuing this would only cause pain and suffering to both our families, but my heart refused to listen, drowning out the voice with images of Bella being hurt, telling me that the only way she would be safe is if she was home again.

"I think its time you leave. I don't want to see you again, and I refuse to answer any more of your questions." Charlie said, now addressing Carlisle and Esme directly. Rose was still tense, but Jasper was working to calm her down, which was causing her to glare at him instead. My whole family was tense, thinking about the warning Charlie had given us.

"We are sorry Charlie, but we are still concerned. The answers you have given us do not help to put our minds at rest." Esme said, looking guilty at having to say this, but her thoughts reflecting that she would ask as many questions as it took to find out what had happened to Bella. "You said she lead a dangerous life, what did you mean by that?"

"I can't answer your question, it is not your place to know. I know you care for Bella Mrs Cullen, but please understand, that you can no longer be a part of her life. She has her own family, one that she needs to protect. Wouldn't you do the same to protect your family?" He spoke with a much softer tone now, imploring for her to understand, but it didn't have the desired effect.

"I would do the same to protect my family, but Bella _is _my family. She is like a daughter to me, and I am very much concerned about her safety." Esme was not giving up, much to everyone apart from myself and Carlisle. Myself because I could read her thoughts and Carlisle because he knew her better than any of us.

"Think of the children you have no Esme. If you would do anything to protect Bella, then you will do anything to protect your children here. Getting involved in Bella's life, her _world _if you will, it will only cause pain for your family. Don't put them in harms way. I know that you do not believe me, but they are different. They will fight you with everything they have. If Bella is really like a child to you, then let her go, let her be happy with her family." I had to hand it to Charlie, by appealing to her motherly side, the side that would do everything to protect her children, he was having more of an effect on her than any other approach.

"I can see that we have come to a point where will receive no other answer from you other then leave Bella alone" Carlisle sighed. He was as frustrated as the rest of us, but he knew that pushing any further would not get us the answers that we wanted.

Though Carlisle thought that I would not, I dove into Charlie's mind, but there was nothing, apart from the strong warning to stay away from Bella. Even though she wasn't his family, he had strong feelings for her, more of an uncle and niece relationship than anything.

"I have to ask you something Charlie" Alice said, speaking for the first time. Though Carlisle sent her a warning look, she continued. "Will you tell Bella that we were here today, and inform her that we will be looking for her?"

"I have to. Bella asked me to, and even with her request, I would still tell her. I'm telling you, stay away from her, she doesn't need you." Charlie said.

"So you have a way to contact Bella?" Alice pressed. I knew what she was going to ask, and I could already see how it was going to end. Why was she asking Charlie, why didn't she just look into the future and get the answer herself? But then I realised with alarm that she could no longer see either one's futures.

"Yes, I have a way to contact Bella, but I cannot give it to you, nor do I want to. You wont be able to find her number in the phone book, and I have the number memorised, so there is no point searching for my house for it, as it is not written down." Charlie glared at me as he said the last part, guessing that I would be the most likely one to break into his house and look for it. Carlisle also looked at me, reminding me of his condition. But it was useless, as there was nothing in Charlie's mind, not even a whisper of a number.  
>"I think it best if you leave now, I have things to do and nothing left to say to you." He turned away from us, telling us not just with words but with his body language that we were no longer welcome in his home.<p>

We all left quickly, Alice, Esme and Carlisle saying quiet thank you's as they left, but no other words were said. The drive home was silent, and seemed just as slow as the drive there. Everyone's thoughts were on the warning that Charlie had given us. Though the ride home may of been silent, as soon as we were all inside the house, the shouting began.

"I told you she was not to be trusted! The human girl has gone and told her pretend father that we are not normal! Do you realise how much this puts us at risk! All he has to do is say the wrong thing to the wrong person, and we will be forced to go one the run! All this for one lying ignorant girl who couldn't keep her mouth shut!" Rosalie seethe, straining to get to me but being held back my Emmett again.

Normally I would be yelling back at her, but I didn't have the time. All I needed to know was how soon could we be leaving. I turned to Carlise and Esme."How soon can we be there?"

"We will book the next flight to New York." Esme told me.

"Are you kidding me! You heard Charlie, she's better off without us! Let her go with her freaky family and get herself killed. She can put her own family in danger, but I will not allow her to put ours in danger too!"

"You owe her Rosalie, without her Edward would be dead. She is as much a part of this family as you are, and we would do this for you if the need ever arose. We are going to New York to bring Bella home." Esme Said, her head held high and her voice firm.

This day had been long, with little answers to our many questions, but one thing was certain. Isabella Hamato would be coming home, to her family, where she belonged.

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, it took a long time to write! Please review!  
><strong>**Pingu xx**


	9. Disdain and a promise

**Hello! Sorry for the long gap between updates. I'm sorry I haven't updated my other stories in a long time, but I feel like I can make more progress with this story than I can with the others at the moment, and I see that allot of people like this story more than my others. I promise that I will update them, but it probably wont be for a long time. Anyway, I hope you really enjoy this chapter, I'm sorry that its a little shorter than the others, but I think it explains the situation pretty well!  
><strong>**Disclaimer : I do not own Twilight or TMNT, but the words are all my own! ;) **

Bella's Point Of View

"I don't know how it got this bad" Leo said, holding his head in his hands. It had taken awhile, but eventually we had managed to help Leo open up a little, help him to realise that we weren't going to push him away.

"I was so angry at myself, I wasn't able to protect you. All of the screaming, the blood. It felt like there was no hope left." His voice was muffled slightly, and his shoulders were tense from stress. I could see that it was hurting his injury, which still hadn't healed properly, but I knew now wasn't the best time to worry about that. If I stopped Leo now, then I don't think he would open up so easily again. He needed to tell us now, when the pain was still fresh.

"There was no hope left, and when I saw the gauntlet strike down on Bella, I realised that we were going to die, that we were going to have to watch each other die, and not be able to reach out for any comfort. I hated the choice we had to make, but then again I took comfort from the fact that if we were going to die, then we had the power. Took comfort from the fact that we would, in the end, be controlling our fate. I can't tell you how happy and grateful I am to still be alive, but we had to be saved, and that felt like failure."

The way he said it, was so simple. It described how he felt, without going into the full details of what had happened. I could see from the looks on the others faces, that they understood the pain, that they clearly remembered the terror, and the sheer horror of witnessing the people you love screaming for saviour around you.

"Leo... none of that was your fault. We all witnessed what happened. We all experienced the self blame and the helplessness, but we survived. Bro, if we hadn't of been saved, we would have still been together in some form. All that astral plane stuff Master Splinter talks about must have some truth behind it." This, surprisingly came from Raph. We all looked at him, shocked. " What? Just because I don't meditate every minute of the day don't mean that I haven't thought about this type of thing." He grunted, looking towards the floor.

"Dude, Raph here kind of has a point. Though you may feel the responsibility lies only on your shoulders, we all have self blame for what happened. It was difficult for all of us to deal with, and we all thought that we were going to die. But again, we would have been together then, and we are still together now." Mikey said, looking directly at Leo. I was proud of Mikey. Even though he sometimes seemed childish, he still managed to come through and comfort those who needed it.

"Mikey's right Leo, we all have issues of our own. The thing is though, we've managed to draw comfort from the fact that we are still together. We've all opened up to each other about what happened, and doesn't it feel a little better now that you have told us what you feel?" Donnie asked, using his most comforting voice. What he said was true. All my brothers had shared their emotions with each other, all but Leo.

"I know, and it does feel better. I don't think I'm ready to talk about all that I'm feeling just yet, but you have all made me realise that sometimes I have to rely on you, and that I need your support." He looked around the room, his eyes shining slightly. He then looked directly at me "I'm sorry that it had to go to such extremes for me to realise that my self hatred and self blame wasn't only affecting me. I promise that I will never do something like that again." As he said this, a small tear rolled down his cheek. None of us had seen Leo cry for a long time, not since we were kids. The realisation of how much pain Leo was in struck our hearts.

I got up from the sofa as quickly as possible, and threw my arms around him. He wrapped his arms around me, clinging on to me like his life depended on it. And in a way it did, he had finally shared all the pain that was harbouring inside of him. Life had not been the same since that night, but now he could start to recover properly, and he saw that he had his family there to support him. I put one hand on the back of his head, stroking it softly as he began to sob. I didn't say anything to him, just gently shushed him, still stroking the back of his head and neck.

It wasn't long before the others joined us, wrapping their arms around both of us and crying silently. Leo had moved onto the floor while he was talking to us, and now we were all curled up around him, vowing that we would protecting him without uttering a single word.

Eventually Leo stopped crying, and relaxed in our arms. The others settled, and soon they were all asleep, their embraces never wavering. I could hear all of their heartbeats, a steady rhythm that lulled me into a state of complete contentment. This is where I belonged, and this is where I was going to stay.

I heard my phone ringing in the distance. Ever since I returned back home, I only used my old cell phone to receive calls from certain people. Whoever was calling, could wait for a little while until I was in a position to call them back, I was going to enjoy this moment with my brothers, because it was rare for a moment like this to occur. The last time I had fallen asleep in my brothers arms, and not have to worry about one of us being in serious danger, was when we were children, when we did not know the dangers of what was on the surface.

The caller did not let up though. Every time the phone stopped ringing, it would start up again in a matter of seconds. The sound was beginning to make my brothers stir, and I didn't want them to be disturbed just yet. I gently rolled Mikey off of me, so that he was leaning on Raph, and slipped out of Leo's arms. When it registered that I was no longer in his arms, he began searching for me in his sleep. This was one of the sweetest and saddest things I had ever seen, that my hero, my big brother was so broken on the inside that he needed me even when there was no danger. I leant forward quickly and kissed him on the forehead. "I'll be back in a second big brother" I whispered. As I walked out of the room, he was still searching for me, but not as much. I was only planning on being away from him for a short amount of time.

I entered the kitchen grabbed my cell as I slipped out the back door. I looked at the caller ID, and realised it was Charlie that was calling me.

"Charlie, nows not really a good time." I told him, glancing into the kitchen to see if any of my brothers had woken and followed me.

"I'm sorry Bella, but I thought that you would want to know this as soon as possible." He apologised, his voice quite strained. I frowned at this, what could have possibly have happened to make Charlie this worried?

"What's wrong?" I asked, bouncing on the balls of my feet. Though I knew that I was going to be fine, my muscles still ached from the ordeal last night. I didn't dare tell my brothers this, as they would never let me move again.

"The Cullen's came over earlier, asking about you." His tone darkened at this, and I knew exactly how he felt.

"What did they want?" I hissed.

"They wanted to know about your family, about your brothers. They asked me to tell them where you were, as they believe that you might be in danger. They also asked me to tell you your phone number"

"I assume that you told them that I wanted nothing to do with them? If they cared that much for my safety, then they would not have abandoned me!" I hissed in anger. How dare they assume that I was unsafe with my brothers. I was safer with my brothers than I could ever be with them.

"I told them that you did not wish for them to know where you were. I told them, no warned them, that they should leave you and your family alone. But the said that you were a member of their family, and that they wanted to protect you. They said that they would find you." Charlie sounded truly sorry as he said this.

"They will have a hard time finding me. I don't exactly live in a place thats easy to access. You can warn them again, if you see them again, that I know that they are looking for me, and that if they dare to try and take me away from my family, even their immortality will not save them from death" I knew that Charlie was shocked as I said this, and I was a little bit too. But I knew in my heart, in my soul, that I meant it. I would not risk loosing my family again, and I would not let a clan of people who broke my trust take me from them.

"Are you sure about this Bella?" Charlie asked. "I know what they are, and I have doubts about whether you would be able to stand against them. They are not normal people, that have speed and strength that you will never be able to match"

"I know how to deal with them, and I know what their weakness's are. I already have a theory of a way that would give me an advantage if it ever came to a fight. If you see them, tell them that is where I stand. Bye" I snapped the phone shut.

My chest was rising and falling. My anger was rising. I thought that they were out of my life. I thought that once I said goodbye to them, then I could continue my life with my brothers as normal. After seeing how broken they are, how much they need to be supported and comforted, there is no way I can risk being taken away from them. They needed to be part of a family, they needed me to be there for them. I had seen all four of my brothers, my idols and hero's, cry their pain onto my shoulder within the last hour.

These were the people that had raised and protected me throughout everything. I had grown up not knowing anything else in this world apart from them, they were my life. How could they ever think that I would choose them over the people who had done so much for me. How dare the Cullen's think that they would ever be able to replace them, be better for me than them.

I took a deep breath to calm myself, and walked back inside. I silently shut the door behind me, and turned my phone off and removed the sim card, I couldn't risk that the Cullen's might get hold of my number and trace it. I would dispose of the phone later. I would only be in contact with Charlie if I needed to be.

I returned to the living room, and my brothers had not moved from their positions. Leo's hand was still outstretched towards me, but it was no longer moving. I slowly slipped back into his arms, and rolled Mikey back into the position that he was in previously. They all stirred slightly, but they settled down again within a matter of seconds. If anything they all moved closer to each other, embracing me and Leo from all angles.

Leo opened his eyes for a second, only glancing at me, before kissing me on the cheek and falling asleep again. He looked more at piece now than I had seen him in a long time. They all did. I worried about all of them, but I knew that they were going to be okay, it may take some time, but we would get there eventually.

This is where I belong, and nothing was going to take me away from my family.

**I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! I know enjoyed writing it! I really do love this story, and I hope that you do to! Thank you for reminding me that I do have people out there who like to read my writing, and I will try to update more frequently. I have decided to focus on this story, so my other stories have been put on hold until this story has been completed.  
>Thank you all for reading!<br>Love Pingu xxxxxx**


	10. Honesty and Connections

**Sorry for the gap between updates, been taking exams all month, so I haven't really had the chance to update! But good news, I got an A* on my english exam, which got me moved up to set 1! I hope you enjoy this chapter, it put me through a lot of stress trying to get it to work! Oh, and thank you for all the lovely reviews! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own twilight or TMNT **

**Raphael Point of View **

The night was quiet. Everything was still, peaceful. Considering the hectic lifestyle I normally lead, it was a rare occurrence for there to be no flurry of movement in every corner. Today had strained us all, but now we could finally heal. I'm glad that we could all start to move on, and that everything was explained simply and quickly. There was no need for us to go into the details of that night, as we could all recall every moment of pain we felt, so we knew and understood the anguish one another were feeling.

I knew that Leo had been suffering, and I do feel sorry for the guy, he is my brother after all. But I also knew that my other siblings had been suffering just as much, and that I was going through the same. I'm still a little worried that I will wake up in the morning and Leo will run off into the forest to train, leaving the rest of us wondering where he had wandered off to, and what time he would return.

Mikey has bounced bake faster than the rest of us, but he still jumps at the sound of a blade sometimes. Occasionally I catch him staring at Bella's cheek, a look of sadness shining in his eyes, and then I look again and its gone. I'm certain that he is going to be just fine, though it doesn't hurt to keep an eye on him.

Donnie is wearing himself out, as he is trying to fix up the farm house and look after all of us at the same time. The turtle is a genius, but he cant run solely on coffee for the rest of his life. I see him stumble and slump when he thinks that no one is looking, and then he's off again, smiling and being as kind as ever. Donnie is too kind and caring for his own good.

Bella is hiding her feelings, as I know she is suffering from more than just what the shredder did. I don't know what Bella went through in the months when she was in Forks after the Cullen's had left, but from what Charlie had told us, she was in a bad state, he said that she seemed cold and uncaring, two words that I would never think to associate my older sister with.

"You know, I always knew that you were a star gazer" a voice said behind me. I whirled around to see Bella standing behind me, a small smile on her face. I opened my mouth to say something, but she held up a hand to stop me. "Don't worry, I won't tell the others. You mind having some company?"

"Nah, as long as you don't bug me." I joked, moving to leave more room on the bench beside me. The room was starting to get cold, as I had had the window open for about an hour now, but the others were all rapped up in their blankets, so they didn't seem to notice. Bella moved to sit next to me, and I noticed that she had a hair brush in her hand, and with closer inspection realised that she also had a band around her wrist.

She must be planning to spend some time with me like we did when we were kids. Bella would catch me awake late at night, and she would sit with me. She would begin to brush her hair, and somehow I would end up being the one brushing her hair, and somewhere along the line she taught me how to braid hair. I knew that if our brothers, especially Mikey, they would never let me live it down. But Bella never told them, no matter how angry I would make her when I disobeyed Leo's and Fathers orders. She kept it between her, and when I asked her about it, she said that it was the special thing that she had with me, and that none of the others would ever be able to braid hair like I could.

Without even waiting for her to start brushing her hair, I gently pried the brush from her hands and sat her down so that her back was facing me, and began to gently pull the brush through her thick hair.

"I didn't think you would remember" She whispered, her voice soft and relaxed. "We haven't done this in awhile"

"I never forgot, I just got too wrapped in my own little world." I answered, still untangling her brown locks.

"That you did. I think the last time we did this was when we were twelve or so. I didn't think you would have the patience to do this any more."

"I'm not a hot head all the time, I do sometimes know how to unwind. I don't think I ever told you this, but I used to love playing with your hair. But I preferred it when you used strawberry scented shampoo instead of lavender, I've never been to keen on the smell" I wined as I caught the scent of her hair. Lavender always smelt like metal to me somehow, and I made me grind my teeth together.

"I didn't even realise that I was still using this shampoo. I always used to use the strawberry one, but when I got to Forks all they had was Lavender, so I just brought that." She explained. By this point I had completely untangled her hair, and was now dividing it into sections. When I was young, I always found it hard to do a perfect braid, as my fingers were wide and stumpy, but now that I'm used to twirling my Sai's around them nearly everyday of the year, I don't have any difficulty.

"I'm worried about Donnie, raph" Bella blurted out suddenly. I stopped moving my hands for a second, but then carried on slowly.

"What you mean?"

"He's been working himself so hard recently. He's taken it upon himself to take care of all of us, even though he knows that I am more than capable of dealing with out injuries now that they have healed a little. And he's also helping Casey get the farmhouse up to date, fixing things and doing jobs that he knows will put a strain on his injuries. I had to fight to convince him to go to bed tonight, and I know he will be up at the crack of dawn to check everyone's bandages and tend to father." I had finished braiding her hair now, and I turned her to face me. Her face was scrunched up in worry, and she had her hands clasped tightly around each other. "Also Father is healing slower than I expected him to, and I'm starting to worry. He tells me every time I see him that he is fine, and that he just needs more rest than he used to, but he's trained me well. His pulse is weak, and he always seems to be cold." By now she was ranting.

"Calm down sis, I'm sure that they are both fine. Father is telling the truth, he's not as old as he used to be, and with all that has happened over the last few months, he needs a bit more time than the rest of us to recover. Just give him time, I'm sure that he will make a full recovery, as he has the best healer in the multiverse to care for him." I smiled, and she twitched her lips, her cheeks going a light shade of pink. "And with Donnie, the turtle just needs to sleep for a day and have a proper meal. Maybe you should make him stay in bed today, get a direct order from Father and he will do as he's told, whether he likes it or not"

"Your probably right, I'll talk to Father in the morning while I'm checking him and get an order for Donnie to stay in bed. I do want to check on Don though, as I think he's been running a temperature the last few days, but he's been covering it up." She stands, and strides over to the bed Don is occupying, and places her hand on his forehead. I see her frown, and gather that she was correct in thinking that he had a temperature.

"He has a fever, worse than I thought it was going to be" she said, and then she looked to the side, where a chest of drawers was placed. She opened the top drawer, and shook her head. "He's been taking every pain medication under the sun. Thats just making it worse! I thought he was the smart one, but he's been abusing his body by putting himself under so much stress whilst he's ill!" She scooped up all of the packets and boxes, and quickly disposed of them in her suitcase, which she pushed back under her bed.

"He's too kind, he's always trying to help us. I know your pissed at him Bells, but his heart was in the right place, even if his head weren't" I defended him, but I fully intended on giving him a smack round the head as soon as he was health again.

"There is no way that I am allowing him to leave this room, I will strap him to this bed if I have to. If he had just told me that he wasn't feeling well, I could have given him the right medication, and he would be feeling fine now, but no, he had to be all self sacrificing and keep it to himself. And now he has a fever and I'm pissed off." She grumbled. Even though she said she was pissed, I knew that she was more worried than anything.

"Keep Leo in here with him. I know that he hasn't been sleeping properly. Keep the two of them up here, that way neither of them can leave without the other one telling. Oh, and you might want to hide Don's laptop, cause you know as soon as he thinks he has a chance, he will be on it working on some crazy complicated experiment of his." I jerked my head towards the laptop case, which had three state of the art padlocks attached to it, all because of the amount of times Mikey had stolen it and downloaded games to play, deleting the files already stored to make room for them.

"Hide it in your stuff, he won't think to look in yours. He'll go straight for my stuff." She mumbled as she prepared something I couldn't see. I did as she said, sliding the case deep under my bed, and pulled a few boxes in front of it so you couldn't see it even if you looked for it.

I looked back in the direction of Bella, to see her holding a syringe in one hand, and wiping the inside of Dons elbow, where his veins were, with an antiseptic wipe with the other. She moved to inject the needle into his arm. I made a startled noise, and she briefly looked in my direction before turning her attention to what she had been doing. "Don't panic Raph, its just some pain killers, nothing major. I've checked all of the pills he had in his drawer, and if he took any of them tonight, it was over six hours ago that he took them, so there's no danger in giving this to him now." She had inserted the needle now, and was steadily pushing the plunger down. "Also I didn't want to wake him up, as he needs his rest, this medicine will make him sleep for longer. That will give me a chance to check on Father and get the order for him to stay in bed before Don has time to argue." She smoothly pulled the needle out, and placed a small ball of cotton where the needle had been. She gently applied pressure, staying like that for a few seconds before pulling back to examine that white material for blood. From what I could see, there was no blood, and I'm assuming there was none as Bella leaned back to drop the cotton into the bin that was beside the chest of drawers.

"So he should be fine if he stays in bed?" I asked, I had settled myself into bed by now. My ribs had been throbbing all day, and now they were starting to hurt, but I didn't want to worry her, so I figured it would be best just to rest them for the night.

"He'll be just fine as long as he rests at takes the medicine I tell him to. It will probably take a few days for the fever to go down and for him to be back to full health, but that's to be expected." She gently stroked his forehead, placing a light kiss before walking over to my bed. She held her hand out to me, and I saw that she was holding to small white pills in her hand. "Here, I know that you ribs are hurting now, take these and you will be fine." She winked at me, bent down and kissed my forehead just like she had done with Don. I just shook my head in amazement.

"Night Raphie" She whispered, before walking over to her bed.

"Night Bells" I whispered back, and slowly sank into my bed. The bed wasn't the most comfortable, but at least it was a proper bed.

Now that I think about it, all of us were stupid when it came to the whole self sacrificing thing. We thought that it would help the others if we didn't tell them when we needed help, or when we were sick or injured, even though Father had trained us to work as a team, as a unit. We were there to help each other, but we never wanted to admit that we needed help. In the long run, we just ended up making things worse, making things more complicated and difficult than they needed to be.

Maybe things will change now that we have all started to realise that we need each other. I have a strange feeling that we are going to learn that we have to ask for help, even if the source of help is the last person that we ever thought that we would have to turn to to receive it.

**Ohhhh theres a little taster of what is to come! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and please leave a review!  
><strong>**Pingu xxx**


	11. A frown hidden behind a soothing smile

**Hello again! Heres another chapter! I hope you enjoy, and I'm sorry that its a bit shorter than usual, but I struggled to write this chapter, though I am not sure why :/ **

**Splinters Point Of View **

I knew as soon as I saw my daughters face that something was bothering her. Usually my son would come to tend to my wounds, whilst my daughter saw to her siblings. But this morning there was no sign of Donatello, as Bella entered my room and bowed to me.

"Father, I am afraid that Don has fallen ill, and will not be able to attend to you this morning" she said, and straightened slowly. "I am here to ask for an order for him to rest for the day, as he will not listen to me, though I am the medic within this family."

"Has he told you himself that he will disobey your commands?" I raised an eyebrow at my daughter. I had a suspicion that something like this would happen to my third son, as he had been straining himself too much the last few weeks.

"He is not aware that I know that he is ill, as he has been hiding it from me the last couple of days. I checked him last night, and found that he has a raised temperature. Don will not want to loose a day where he could be working, and if he did obey my instruction, he would soon find a way to cross me. If you were to order him to rest for the day, I am sure that he would be much more willing to stay in bed and rest"

"I see your concern, and will see to it that he does not leave his room or strain himself." I smiled at her. When it came to someone's health, Bella was always very formal. Since I had told her, from a very young age, that one day the lives of her loved ones could rest in her hands, she has never taken that duty lightly.

"Thank you father. How have you been feeling? And the truth, Master, as I know that you have been keeping things from me." She knelt at my bedside, gently checking my pulse with her forefinger.

"I am as well as I was the last time you asked me." I answered gently, watching as she counted the beats of my heart.

"You say this, but your heart tells me a very different story. Your pulse is weak Father, and you are cold to the touch. If this continues, we shall have to return home before we planned to. I need to be able to treat you before this becomes worse, and I simply do not have the equipment to treat you here." She shook her head, rummaging through her bag for my daily medication.

"We will return home when we are all fully healed, and you and your brothers are no where near healed" I told her sternly. I would not have my children's health put at risk for an old man such as myself.

"I am afraid that if you do not improve Master, then we will have no choice. I will monitor you myself for the next few days, and if there is no noticeable improvement between now and then, we will have to return." She looked me straight in the eyes as she said this, and I was impressed that she had managed to stand her ground.

"I am growing old, and the battle put a strain on my body. I shall be fine if I allow my body the time to heal. We shall only return to New York once you have all healed."

"I am afraid that is not an order that I can comply to Father. You trained me to keep us alive, and you have taught me all that you know. During my time in Forks, I learnt many things, things that you have not been able to teach me. Donatello and I are studying modern medicines, and have managed to master many theories. I am the medic of this family, and though you are my Father and Master, what I say stands. I will monitor you, and if I deem it necessary, then we shall return home, where I can treat you." Her shoulders were tense, and she had clenched her hands into fists as she spoke. I had trained all of them to obey my command, and to listen to the wisdom I had to offer. Bella was struggling against my teachings, clearly visible in the way she held herself. But there was no doubt within her eyes, and I knew that she would not waver.

"Very well, but only if Donatello agrees with your judgement." I finally gave in. I knew that she was worried, and that she would only force the issue this much if there was a real danger to my health. "How are your brothers? I hope that they are healing well? There seems to be a vast improvement with Leonardo." I relaxed against the pillows, taking the pills that my daughter offered me.

"We all came together to help him deal with his emotions. You have trained him well Father, but sometimes I feel that he carries too many burdens on his shoulders. Leo blamed himself for our near failure against the Shredder. After we explained to him that we all felt the same, he soon opened up. Physically, they are all healing well, apart from Don, but with enough rest he will soon be back to full health. Mikey should soon be able to have his casts removed, though it will be about two weeks yet. Raph's ribs are healing nicely, he still experiences pain, but that is to be expected. In another week or so I will be able to start him training again, but it will be a slow process. Leo's wound is doing well, there is no infection and it is very clean thanks to the Utroms."Bella unwrapped the bandages from my arms, slowly inspecting the cuts that marked my skin. She gently pushed aside my fur, inspecting the now faded bruises.

"And you? How are you healing?" I asked. Bella had been treating herself, so not even Donatello knew how she was healing. I trusted her to take good care of herself, but she was very prone to putting others ahead of herself.

"I am healing, I have been treating my wounds every day, and in a day or two I will be able to remove my bandages for good." she had finished examining my arms by now. "In fact, I think you are ready to have your bandages removed Father.

"That is good news, my dear daughter. Tell me, when will you and your brothers be able to begin training?" I was eager to begin their training again. Once they were fully healed, it would take time to build their muscle strength once again. Of course, Leo had been training without permission, but now that had been stopped.

"By my estimate, we should be able to resume training in a three weeks, give or take a few days. My wounds have healed, so I would be able to train in a few days, the same goes for Don, once he has recovered from his fever. Leo, Raph and Mikey should all be able to begin training in three weeks, but it will be slow for them. They will need the most help in building their strength, as if they are put under too much strain they could cause themselves further injuries." There was now a pile of bandages at Bella's side, and she began to place her things back into the bag that she had brought in with her. "But, depending on how you heal, will determine who will train us."

"I am healing, I am sure with Donatello and you watching over me, I will be more than ready to resume your training." I smiled at her, and I could see she relax, even though it wasn't by much. I was worried myself. I had been feeling very weak recently, but had blamed it on the mental and physical stress that my body and mind had been through. To hear that my heart was weakening was a troubling sign indeed.

"We shall see Father. When Don is better I shall have him examine you, and if he sees what I see, then we shall be returning home." she warned me. "I have a request to ask of you." Bella suddenly added, and I could see that she wasn't sure of what the outcome of this request might be.

"Oh? And what would this request be?" I raised an eyebrow at her, waiting patiently for her to continue.

"I know that you meditate daily, and that it is your normal practice to stay in meditation for hours, several times a day. This worries me because it takes great mental strength to be able to achieve the deep meditation that you seem to have no trouble finding. This kind of meditation calms the body, mind and soul. I am concerned because it slows your heart rate, and as your pulse is already weak, and weakening as it would seem, then your heart might stop altogether."

"I am sure that this will not happen. I have been meditating daily for many years, and I have remained perfectly fine throughout this time period." I assured her.

"I understand Father, but when you reached me on the astral plane a few days ago, it weakened you. I know that there was no other option, of Don would not have asked that of you. Your heart rate is slowly declining, and that is something to worry about. If you continue to meditate, which slows the heart rate naturally, then you could put your self at very high risk of something going wrong." She looked at me, and I could see the genuine concern and fear within her eyes. "Please Father, if only for a few days, will you not meditate, so we can see if there is any improvement?" She pleaded.

I had trained my daughter well. She had always taken her duty very seriously, and I had told her that if she believed that something would put a member of our family at risk, then she should put a stop to it as quickly as possible. I had been the one to teach her this, and had taught her brothers that if Bella said that they could possibly cause physical harm to themselves by continuing to do something they shouldn't or know could cause problems, then they would listen to her, whether they agreed with her judgement or not. I could not go against my own words, and I would not cause my children to go through any more stress or worry on my part.

"very well, I will not meditate for four days, during that time you will be able to monitor my health." Bella smiled at my words, releasing a breath I hadn't realised that she had been holding.

"Thank you Father. I should go check on the others and prepare breakfast, I shall bring a cup of tea up to you in half hour, try and rest some more in the mean time." She bowed to me again, before turning to leave the room.

I could hear that there was no one else awake yet, and that all was peaceful. This would soon change, as my sons awoke to the smell of breakfast and would await impatiently for Bella to appear at their bedsides with the food she had prepared. Soon the house and land would be filled with the sounds of laughter and Michelangelo's story of choice for the day. There would be moaning and groaning because of their injuries, and the sound of things hitting the floor when a playful fight would break out between two brothers.

These sounds would soon fill the house, comforting and familiar sounds that I had grown used to. But despite this, I frown masked my face.

I sensed that there was dark times ahead for my family, and I knew that I could not do anything to avoid or steer my children away from them. I was worried, and somehow I knew that there was not going to be many options that we could take. I have a horrible feeling, that the life of a member of our family would hang in the balance, and a choice would have to be made.

But maybe this could change? My predictions were not always correct. As soon as this thought crossed my mind, I felt a cold hand grip my heart.

I know know that there is no avoiding the future, and that allot of suffering will have to be endured.

**And there we have it, another chapter finished. I hope you enjoyed it! Please leave a review!  
><strong>**Pingu xx**


	12. Preparations within the chaos

**Here we are, a nice long chapter for you all! Sorry I haven't updated in awhile, but I've been very busy, and I had to revise for my GCSE Biology exam. But here it is, the next chapter in the story. I hope you enjoy it, and it should give you some clue as to what might happen in the chapters yet to come :D **

**Disclaimer: I don't own TMNT or Twilight, only the words. **

**Donatello's Point Of View **

The next few days passed in a blur, and I don't remember much of it. I wasn't allowed out of my bed for most of it, and there was no way I could sneak away, as Leo was permanently in the room with me. Not that I would want to leave, as my illness had finally beaten me.  
>Bella and April made sure that I was well looked after, and that I was never alone or in much discomfort. They didn't allow me to work for three days, as for most of it I had a throbbing headache.<p>

The only two reasons I was allowed to leave my bed were to go to the bathroom, and to examine Master Splinter. Bella has confirmed my suspicions about his wellbeing. Father was ill, and he refused to admit it.

Bella did not really need me for a diagnostic, as she had studied further than I ever have, been taught natural remedies my Father in her training, and when she had been taught all she could by Father, continued to learn modern medicine. She knew far more about his condition than I did, and for that matter so did April, but Father insisted on my observation as well.

I could only be in the room with Father for a few minutes, as we were all very aware how easy it would be for the bacteria to spread from me to Father. A few minutes is all it took though to measure his pulse and check general fitness. It was exactly the same, low enough to worry and ask questions.

When I was returned to my bed, Bella followed and sat on the side of my bed.

"Leo? Would you mind giving me and Don some privacy please?" She asked. Leo looked wary, but nodded and left the room, quietly shutting the door behind him.

"I'm guessing that you want to talk about Master Splinter?" I relaxed against the pillows, making myself comfortable for what I predict to be a long talk.

"Yes, and I can't talk with Leo in here, it would take too long to explain. What did you notice when you examined him?"

"Lowered heart rate, less than 60 beats per minute. He had a temperature, and when I asked him how he was feeling, he said that he was feeling dizzy and had chest pains. You already knew this though" I pointed out.

"I do know all of this, and we need to get him back home as soon as possible. I have a feeling I know what is wrong with him, but I need to take blood samples and run tests, with accurate monitoring equipment. We also need LH."

"What is it that you think is wrong with him?" I knew that Bella was very good at what she did, but to be able to form a diagnostic this quickly? There were allot of things that lowered heart rate and chest pains could be a sign of.

"I think that Father has a condition called Bradycardia. Its lowered heart rate, and he could be fine, as this has a tendency to come and go, but considering all the stress that father has been under recently, I would rather not risk it."

"I've heard of it, and from what I know, it can be remedied quite easily." That's what I knew, but from the look on Bella's face, there was more to it.

"It can be, but Father isn't exactly a normal humane. And Bradycardia can be caused by many things, and in turn they can be caused by many things. I need to be at home to run the tests that I need, and I fear that even if all of us are there to help, we will need outside help." She looked deeply ashamed by this, but if Bella was this worried, then I was willing to do whatever needed to be done. "We cant exactly take Father to a hospital for help, and there are very few people who would be willing to help a family of mutants."

I then looked at her sharply. "You cant be thinking of making a deal with Bishop?!"

"I would never trust your lives in the hands of Bishop. There is no one on this earth that I would trust your lives to, but some are more understanding than others." She looked like she hated herself to be saying this. We all hated to have to ask for help, but sometimes it was necessary. "I don't know whether I am going to be able to treat Father on my own, I can't know until I get him home and run the tests."

"Who are you thinking of asking?" She wasn't looking at me, and she didn't answer me. "Bella? Who are you going to ask for help if we cant treat Father?"

"I'll wait and see if we can treat him ourselves, I'll tell you as soon as I know. But we need to start getting things ready to move, and quickly. The sooner I know that is causing this, the sooner I know whether I can help."

"What could be causing it? Surely there must be a number of things that could be making his heart rate lower."

"It could be anything, but I think the most likely source is an infection of some kind, though I can't tell you what it is, or how dangerous it is. I'm worried that Father might also have a chest infection, and if he does its only going to make it harder to treat him. Because he is a mutant, his genetics are obviously different to a normal human. It will be a challenge to find the right antibiotics, with the right dosage, to treat the infection, without causing more harm to Father." Bella knew the difficulties of treating us more than anyone else. We had some human DNA, but we were also originally animals, so we were hard to treat. Common drugs seemed to work fine on us, but when it comes to specific drugs for a specific cause, Bella and I (mainly Bella) are the ones to administrate them.

"So we the longer we delay going home, the more risk there is that Father will get worse?" A pretty sound conclusion, and Bella nodded. I sighed, this wasn't going to be easy, with all the injuries we still had to nurse and keep clean, but it was necessary.

"The quicker we get home, the quicker I can treat Father. I think after he is well again, we should find somewhere for him to recover, somewhere quiet for a few weeks, and safe. I think we could all use some real recovery time, where we can work on our training and relax." I think angels were singing right now, because that sounded like a miracle to me. A safe place where we could relax as a family? Even here at the farm house we had to be careful what we did.

"The only place we have that is near to that is right here Bella." I told her. I wanted desperately to relax, truly relax with my family. We were at the farm house to recover, but we were dealing with more than physical wounds, which meant that it was hard to find something that we could all laugh about. And because we were healing from physical wounds, we couldn't exactly do much anyway.

"As much as I love this place, we need somewhere that you guys can walk around and not be at risk of being spotted. I was thinking that we head to the battle nexus. The tournament is only held every three years, so there would be plenty of time for us to relax. Also there is no danger there, and they have trained healers on hand, so it would be the perfect place."

"You do have a really good point, one that I can't pick fault with. Once Father is healthy, we'll contact the Daimyo." I smiled. Even though things weren't going the way we expected them to, it was good to have plans for the future, a goal to work towards.

"I'll speak to Leo about it, as all decisions concerning where we are while Father is unwell have to go through him. I don't see him having a problem with it though, he might even get to see Usagi while we are there." Bella had gotten on with Usagi almost as well as Leo had, so Leo wasn't the only one who would look forward to seeing him again.

"Are you going to allow me to leave the room now? You know that I'm nearly healthy again, and I can help." I pleaded, begging to be allowed to leave the room, but Bella only shook her head.

"I can have Leo, Casey and April help me get everything ready to leave, and be ready for the morning. I am going to need you well to help me with Father."

"What about Mikey and Raph…? Oh wait, I see your point." I sighed. "I wish you would let me help, but I am at your command until you deem me fit to leave this room." I sighed dramatically, earning a light swat to my arm.

"Almost as bad as Mikey" She laughed at the wounded expression on my face.

"Low blow sis, low blow. Where is the prankster anyway? I haven't heard from him all day" I pondered. Normally Mikey would have hobbled up the stairs by now, much to Aprils and Bella's frustration, and bugged me until he was carried out of the room by Casey or threatened with no TV.

"Plonked him in front of the TV with a million movies and comic books. I decided we all needed a frustration free day. Raphs been going stir crazy, and Mikey buzzing around doesn't help." None of this suprised me. Mikey was always full of bubbling energy, and not being able to run around was taking its toll on him, and by consequence, everything and everyone around him. Pranks had been played on everyone multiple times. The worst one being where he dyed Casey's underwear (dont ask me where he got the dye from) pink and shrunk it in the wash so it might have been able to just fit April or Bella, bus certainly not Casey's wide frame. We had to lock Casey in the barn for three hours before we could be sure that he wasn't going to kill someone.

"So which unfortunate soul has is being forced to baby sit him?" I asked, curious to see who would take the job, as no one would want to.

"April is the only one in the house with enough patience, time or rationality to watch over him. At least I know that we're not going to be one brother down at the end of the day. Mikey wont step out of line with April watching over his shoulder." Bella shuddered, and I couldn't blame her. We had all gotten in Aprils bad books before, and it wasn't an experience we wished to repeat anytime soon, or ever.

"How you manage to get her to do it? She isn't exactly big on horror movies or comic books." I tilted my head to the side, curious.

"Told Mikey to keep the volume down low, and the screaming and whining to a minimum. I also kept all sugary food and drink well away, so April is reading one of her books. Mikey is actually behaving today."

"A weeks worth of chores says that it lasts till dinner time, and then ticks someone off" I made the bet with no hesitation. There was no way that Mikey could go a whole day without annoying someone to breaking point.

"Deal, just to worn you though, my chores for the week is keeping the bathroom clean" She said it with a wicked grin, and suddenly this wasn't such a good idea. My brothers, apart from Leo, weren't exactly the cleanest people in the world, and then Father was covered in fur...

"I'm going to enjoy this bet" The gleam in her eye was positively evil now, and I gulped.

"How many hours till dinner?" I asked, and hoped that it was quite a few, enough time to slip Mikey some sugar. I didn't doubt Mikeys ability to agitate even the calmest person, I had experienced the evil side of April. Even Mikey wasn't that stupid.

"Its one-thirty now, so four and a half hours until dinner is served." She sounded calm, but there was a glee behind the words, and I was growing more and more nervous by the second. It must have showed on my face, and she laughed, a full and happy laugh. And I had to smile at that, because that was the sound that reminded me of our childhood. When we all laughed freely, without any hesitation.

"Get some rest now Donnie. I'll get everything ready for the move, and wake you up when dinner is ready." She giggled, and then slowly got up "This way it will save you the long wait to see whether you have lost our bet or not."

"I wont loose" I said with as much confidence as I could. She only smirked, patter and kissed my forehead, and left the room without another word. She closed the door at the bottom of the stairs softly, and I could hear the muffled voices of Bella and Leo below. Leo must have waited there the whole time, waiting to be told what the situation was.

The voices stayed there for at least ten minutes, strained throughout most of the conversation, but then I heard a Leo laugh, and I smiled. Bella must have told him of our bet, and I wondered for a second who Leo thought had more chance of winning the bet. I should ask him.

* * *

><p>I was woken at half an hour before dinner was served, and I was finally allowed out of my room for the first time in days.<p>

The look on Bella's face as I entered the kitchen was sinful, and with a sinking heart I realized that Mikey had not managed to break April. A quick glance at the clock showed me that there was 20 minutes left before our bet was over, and I glanced around the kitchen, looking for something that could help me. I spotted the secret stash of smarties that we kept in the house, and knew that was my only hope. Mikey went loopy when he had them. I knew that he would eventually tick me off if I gave them to him, but it was that or clean the bathroom for a week...

My opportunity arose when Casey needed help carrying firewood in, and April had left the living room to quickly use the bathroom. It was now or never. I grabbed a tube of smarties, and through the living room. Mikey was engrossed in the film playing on the TV, and I was a trained ninja, so dropping the smarties next to him without him realizing it was me wasn't difficult. I looped back to the kitchen, and did my best not to look too smug when I heard Mikey shake the tube and sound of smarties hitting teeth.

When Bella came back into the kitchen to finish cooking the dinner and serve, it was 10 minutes until the end of our bet, and she looked confident that she was going to win. I kept my face carefully sculpted into the look of worry and doubt, and she didn't suspect a thing.

Once the food was served onto plates and set on the table, she grinned and asked me to tell Mikey that dinner was served. I left the room silently, delivered the message, and was pleased to see that April had a slightly flustered and frustrated look on her face. Normally I would be displeased about this, but desperate times called for desperate measures. They both went into the kitchen, and I lingered behind, picking up the empty, crumpled tube of smarties and hiding it in my belt.

At first the meal was uneventful, and the conversation around the table was pleasant and lighthearted. Bella was looking positively smug, and my confidence shrunk when I saw that everyone was close to finishing their portion.

And then I saw the signs. Casey was sitting next to Mikey, and I saw Mikey poking him with his fork, once, then twice, and then continually.

"Mike, get off me, I'm tryin ta enjoy my food" Casey grumbled around a mouthful of pasta. Mikey just continued to poke him.

If I had know what was going to happen next, then I would seriously have considered not giving him the smarties and loosing the bet. But even I have to admit, that in a few weeks time when she has calmed down, even April will find this funny.

Mikey, now bored of poking Casey, picked up a piece of spaghetti covered in tomato sauce, and using ninja training, tied it to the ends of Aprils hair.

I almost chocked on my food, but passed it as a cough and drank some of my water. No one else had noticed, and Mikey continued to tie pieces of spaghetti to Aprils hair. He was doing well, and no one apart from me, not even Leo, had noticed what he was doing.

I looked around the table, but everyone was still talking with each other, and no one suspected a thing.

Mikey managed to get about twenty pieces of spaghetti into her hair, before it all went wrong for him. April flicked her hair forward, and a piece of spaghetti stuck to her face.

She peeled it off her face, with a blank look of horror, and then turned to see Mikey sitting next to her. He looked just as confused as she did, and would have probably got away with it, if his hands hadn't have been covered with sauce.

I think April would have lunged and tackled him if he didn't have two broken legs. She screeched, and started slapping his arms. Not hard enough to hurt him, but hard enough to make the sharp sound echo and vibrate around the kitchen.

Bella and Leo moved quickly, Bella restraining April whilst Leo grabbed Mikey and hauled him out of the kitchen, yelling at him the whole way. Mikey was laughing crazily, even though he had just been attacked by April. And Raph and Casey were howling with laughter, rolling around on the floor.

April was still being restrained by Bella, and she had sauce splattered all over her face. The sight of it forced me out of my shocked state, and I joined Raph and Casey on the floor, unable to contain my laughter. I had never thought that Mikey could pull something like that off, but even I had to admit that was brilliant. Bella was suppressing a grin, but held it at bay as she calmed April down and led her upstairs to the bathroom.

Just as they were leaving the room, Leo and Mikey came on the other entrance, and this sight of April had Mikey nearly double over, though Leo slapped a hand over his mouth to stop him making a sound, so April wouldn't see him. I could see Leo's lips twitching and shoulder shaking, so I knew that he was desperate to join us all on the floor.

Bella shut the door behind them, flashing us a quick smile as she did. And then we were all laughing, unable to control ourselves.

I don't think Bella minds loosing the bet at all.

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I know I had fun writing it! Please leave a review and tell me what you think :D It was my birthday a few days ago, so a late birthday present x  
><strong>**Pinguxx**


	13. The frustration of feeling helpless

**I am so so sorry that I haven't updated for months, but things really kicked off for a while. Not for the better either. But here I am with another chapter, and I have to say I was starting to miss all the characters.  
><strong>**I don't own the characters, but the plot is all my own x**

**Mikey's point of View. **

We were helpless. Even with all of our efforts, nothing could help. I Know that I'm the goofball of the team, but even I can help. I can research, I can gather, but there is nothing. Bella successfully diagnosed Father, she only needed the equipment to confirm.

Bella wrote it down for us, but as we have had to do as much research as possible to help, we all know the name of his condition.

Father has a condition names bradycardia. It's when the heart rate is lowered, the beats less than 60 per minute. This can be caused by many things, but Bella found that it was caused by Myocarditis. This is the inflammation of the heart muscle. Don took blood samples to check the white and red blood cell levels, and Bella assured him that his findings were Myocarditis.

Even I can tell you that this isn't good. It can lead to heart failure. If we were human, then it could be treated with antibiotics, but human drugs don't work the same way on mutants as they do on humans.

This is why we are helpless. Father has been getting weaker and weaker. The drugs needed wouldn't work on Father, and he was getting weaker by the hour. It has been two weeks since we returned to the lair. Bella, Don, April and LH hadn't stopped working since we've got back. Dons lab has been turned into a medical bay. Father isn't allowed to leave the room, and someone has to be there at all times. I can't name half of the machines he is hooked up to. He is barely conscious anymore, mostly he sleeps all through the day.

The only thing that could help, would be an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, or ICD for short. It requires surgery. Its considered to be only a minor surgery, but we can't just follow the instructions form a text book or the internet. This is a surgery which requires practiced hands. If we didn't get this right first time, one mistake would be the end.

The only one who would have an idea how to do this, even rough, would be Bella. April, LH and Don are mechanics, not doctors or surgeons. Allot of pressure is resting on Bella's shoulders.

If she made a mistake, there would be no second chance. Father was getting weaker and more unstable. A mistake could mean heart failure. Heart failure would mean death.

If Father died, Leo would be forced to take responsibility for the family. Though he has been trained from a young age to be ready for this, his training is not complete. Leo would lose his guidance. He would fall apart, trying to deal with his own grief and taking care of us.

Raph would be out of control. Leo is able to command him to some extent, but we all know that he only really takes orders from Father. He would spend the rest of his life hating the world, as the time was ripped away from him unfairly.

Don, he is difficult to predict. He has always been the best at dealing with these kind of situations, though that didn't mean anything when it came to losing a family member. If I had to guess, he would become a shell, researching every possible outcome that could have been, trying to find what went wrong. He would become distant. Or possibly he would become closer to us, offering support and comfort. I don't know.

Bella… I hate to think what she would be like. Maybe she wouldn't change. I think she would hide it from us, all the grief and hurt. She would always blame herself, because she was the only one who could have saved him.

Me? I don't know. Cry, become dependent on the others, stop smiling? It seems too simple, but what is there to smile about when you have no one to share it with?

Strangely, Bella is the only one looking after Father, and has been the only one looking after him for a few days now. Don and the others were set to work to make some kind of serum or something. I have't been told the specifics, and the others don't know what it is for either.

Its meant to disable something strong though. Something very strong.

Things are very strained now. No one laughs, heck, its very rare to get a genuine smile from anybody anymore. We all try though, smile at each other to offer comfort. Reassuring others of things that we have no control over. If we can't save Father, everything will change. Our lives will never be the same, we will never be the same.

Its difficult to find any comfort in the long hours when everything is silent. The beeping of the heart monitor makes it just about bearable, but then we are all always waiting for the next beep, reassuring us that not all is lost just yet. Father is still alive, and that's enough to keep us fighting for him.

It's rare that I ever see Bella away from Fathers bedside. The door is always left open, and we are free to visit Father when ever we wish. Bella has always been insistent that we should be surrounded by our family if we are ever injured, as it helps to keep hope alive. It's a little different when we are ill with a cold or flue, but we are allowed to visit at least once a day. Bella never says anything when we visit Father, letting us speak to him about anything we like. I'm more prone to crying than the others. I don't see crying as a weakness, and I have never been afraid to show my emotions in front of my family. The others are more reserved with showing their emotions, but we all understand that they are there and don't pry unless we deem it necessary.

Raph and Leo have been assigned the task of keeping our home safe. Don set everything up for them, showing them how the more complicated pieces of security worked and how to maintain them on a basic level. Don has been working on the security for years, so the likely hood of anything going wrong now was slim.

Casey didn't have much to do, and he had a job he had to go to, no matter how much he protested that he wanted to help. He worked at a garage not far from out home, and when his shift was finished he picked up food for us all, and any medication he could.

I do as much as I can to help, but there isn't much that I can do. I make sure everything is kept clean, which is something I really hate doing, but I can't stand to do nothing when everyone else is doing as much as they can. I research when I have the opportunity to, even if I don't understand most of what I am reading. Occasionally I do find something of use, which I pass along to April or Don, who decide whether or not to pass it along to Bella.

Everyone is here right now, even Casey. For the first time in a long time things seem almost normal. Raph, Leo, Casey and I are all watching a film, as there is nothing else for us to be doing. Its not a very good film, something we found on the TV. Its an action film, Raph refused to watch anything but, and its plot line is the worst I have ever seen. The characters don't seem to have any personality at all, and then there's no blood when anyone gets hurt...

There's suddenly a shout from where April and the others have been working. All the work surfaces are covered in test tubes filled with bubbling and fizzing liquids. There's vials full of powders stacked on shelves everywhere, a white board cover in all sorts of strange calculations and formulas that would make any normal persons head hurt just by looking at them. Papers were piled all over the floor, each one with scribbled pieces of data that can only be read if held at an angle.

"We've done it! I think. We have nothing to test it on, but it seems to be right." April exclaimed happily. She was holding a vial of light blue liquid. There wasn't much, but behind her there are several more vials.

Bella came out of the medical bay, which used to be Dons lab, and looked at what April was holding. Don and Leather head were standing off to the side, both looking hopeful.

"We still don't know what this is for Bella." Don said. Maybe it was a cure for Father?

"You'll find out soon enough. April, I need you to stay with Father. Make sure that he is stable. Casey and Mikey, I need you to stay here with them. I'll be back in a second, I have a phone call to make." Bella looked more alive as she said this than she had been for weeks. Her head was held high, her shoulders squared. Her eyes were focused and determined. She left the room quickly, heading for her room.

* * *

><p><strong>Bella's Point of View.<strong>

I ran the last few paces into my room, shutting the door behind me. I hate what I'm about to do, but I have no other option. I have to save my family, no matter what the price is.

My phone is lying on the bedside table, just where I had left it. I had no reason to keep it by my side as everyone I might need to contact up until this point has been by my side for the last few weeks. Flipping the phone open, I scroll through my contacts until I find Charlie's number. It doesn't take long for him to pick up.

"Bella, I didn't think I would be hearing from you again." Charlie didn't sound unhappy to hear from me, maybe a little concerned.

"I hate to ask after everything you have done for my family and I, but I need one last favour."

"It's fine, I'll help as much as I can. What do you need?" I really do feel horrible for asking him for more after everything he has done for me, but it can't be helped. I don't have much time, and this saves time.

"I need to find Dr. Cullen. My father is ill and there is nothing I can do for him without putting his life on the line. I need his help." I close my eyes as I say this. The thought of putting my Father in the same room as any of the Cullen's makes my heart beat faster and makes me want to reach for my weapons.

"You understand that the Cullen's will try and take you away from your family whether your Fathers life is at risk or not. As far as they are concerned you are in danger and are determined to keep you safe, as twisted as that is." Charlie growled the last part of his sentence, and I am inclined to do the same. The thought of the Cullen's trying to protect me from my own family was ridiculous.

"I understand the risks, but I have no other options. My family has created something that might give us an advantage over them. If they refuse to help us then we can quickly disappear."

"Very well. I know that they moved to New York, but I'm not sure where. They will be searching for you, so I'm sure if you make your presence known, they will come to you. I honestly don't know where they are."

"I know of a way to get their attention. I needed to know whether they were in New York. It makes this a lot easier that they are. Thank you Charlie." This was most probably the last time I was ever going to speak to him, I have already asked so much of this man.

"It's no problem. I hope that you know what you are doing, and that it will all work out for you. I have to go now, I'm still on duty." He hung up the phone then.

Taking a deep breath, I started to change my clothes. I don't know how long this is going to take, but I needed to be prepared. I changed into my fighting clothes, which was tight fitting black clothing, knee pads, elbow pads, breast plates. I picked up my mask, feeling the material between my fingers. I had been given a white mask, for reasons I don't know. It had been a long time since I had worn it, unlike my brothers who wear theirs every day. I placed it back on my bedside table and tightened my french braid, making sure that there were no loose strands.

My weapons were on their stands in the corner of the room. Training had been difficult without Father, but we had managed. I wouldn't need my bow tonight, so I picked up my twin blades, securing it onto my back. The weight was comforting, and helped to ground my thoughts. Picking up my mask once more, I left the room.

Everyone was where I had left them, minus April who was tending to Father as I had asked her to. It was obvious that Leo, Raph and Don had moved though, as they all had their weapons at the ready, Don had his bag over his shoulder. A quick glance at the table he had previously been working at confirmed that he had packed the vials containing the formula.

"Bella, I need an explanation. We all need to know whats going on so we can make a plan." Leo told me, and there was no arguing with him. Leo hated to be kept in the dark, and there was no way that he was going to let this go any further without being fully informed. Leo had been given no information about what Don and the others had been working on, and though he had trusted my judgement enough to let me give the orders for a little while, he wasn't going to tolerate it any longer.

"I can't heal Father, not on my own. Don and the others are mechanics, not doctors. My knowledge only goes so far. I could attempt the surgery that Father needs, but he would most likely die as I am not confident that I could perform the surgery. Father is a mutant, which also complicates things. There is no one on this earth that I would trust your lives to, but there is someone I trust a little more than the others, who I know wouldn't kill Father." Though everyone already knew that I would not be able to treat Father, it was still difficult to say out loud like this, to admit that I needed help. " I need you to understand before I tell you, that if there was any other way I would take it in an instant. I can't take a chance though, not when Father is getting weaker every day."

"I understand that we need help Bella, I truly do. There isn't anyone left though. Who ever you are thinking of asking for help is going to put this family at risk." Leo was so obviously worried that it hurt to look. So much responsibility rested on his shoulders. Leo could stop my plan, and I could try and disobey him, but there was only a very slim chance that I would be able to carry out my plan without his full co-operation. If he chose to stop me, then he knows that it could be the end of Father if we don't find another solution.

"You know of the Cullen's." As soon as I said their name everyone tensed, I don't think anyone was breathing.

"Absolutely not! If you think for a second I am letting those _vampires _come close to you and the rest of our family you have another thing coming. The last time you were with them you ended up in intensive care! The only reason you were allowed to stay in Forks after that incident was because you refused to leave and at the time we couldn't come and get you. They left you Bella! They hurt you and then broke your heart!" Leo yelled at me, and I've never seen him so angry when not in a battle.

"You don't think I know that? I know! But this is for our family, and I will not let our Father die because of them! They owe me, and we have a way to fight and control them! Don has been working on a formula that weakens them. If we coat our weapons with the formula and introduce it into their system we will be able to protect ourselves!" I was shouting by now, as the others had joined in protesting.

"Enough!" Leo's voice was sharp and controlled, and there was instant quiet. Not even Raph dared to to cross Leo's orders when he used that voice. "How can they help us? I don't see how putting our family in danger is going to help Father."

"The head of their clan is a surgeon. He as impressive control over his blood lust. He has never attacked a human once, and has years of experience. He is a kind man, and possible the only one who will be able to help Father. I know that this is a huge risk, and it could backfire, but we have no other options."

No one said anything, all eyes on Leo. He was breathing deeply, deliberate breaths in order to calm his mind. Everything in his posture screamed rejection. He didn't want to trust the Cullen's because of all they have done to me, the danger that they put me in. Leo's protective instincts told him to say no, to find another way. The fact that he was calming his mind meant that he was considering my idea. He knew this was our best chance, possibly our only chance.

The others wouldn't try and stop whichever decision Leo came to. They would protest if Leo chose my idea, of course they would. Not because they don't trust his judgement, but because they want to protect our family against those who have already caused so much harm.

Leo didn't move for a few minutes, his breathing remaining deep and controlled. Eventually he opened his eyes and looked straight at me.

"Whats the plan?"

**There we have it! A few of you guessed where I was going with this story, but there are a flew plot twists to come yet! I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I am so sorry for the long gap, and if you are still following this story I want you to know I love all of my readers! Also, I have decided to change the weapon that Bella uses. She now uses a twin blade ( a staff with a curved blade at each end)  
><strong>**Please review!  
><strong>**Pingu xx **


	14. Revelations and repaying debts

**Hello my lovely readers! Here's another chapter for you! I didn't leave it as long this time, so I hope you can forgive me for my lack of updates! Disclaimer: I own none of the characters but the plot is all my own :) **

**Emmett's Point Of View. **

Bored. completely and utterly bored out of my mind. Edward has each of us running round the city every night, though we never found anything. When Bella said that we would never be able to find her, she was telling the truth. Our theory was that one of us would pick up her scent eventually, as she would be walking around a certain part of the city. There would have to be a building somewhere that held her scent, or the wind would carry it. There was nothing, apart from one shop called the 'second time around'. It was barely there. It was mixed with other smells, and it was glaringly obvious that no one had visited the shop in a long time, a few months or so.  
>To put it simply, life sucked. My wife barely speaks to me, as I supported the others in the view that we should find Bella, and everyone else was so focused on finding her that we didn't talk about anything else. We have to be careful what we do, as we cant go outside in the sunlight. There are so many people, constantly there is noise and movement. There is no peace in a city like this. My family isn't a family anymore, not really.<p>

Edward hasn't spoken to anyone in the weeks that we have been here, as he has no need to. He doesn't need to communicate with us to know if we have found anything, as he can just read our thoughts to find all the relevant information. He never plays the piano now, he spends all his time searching. We can only search at night or when the clouds blanket the sky. Edward hunts when he has to, so he can run faster, cover more ground.

Jasper can't do anything, as he is struggling to keep his blood lust under control. He does his best, he searches as much as he can, but he cant be left alone. Its difficult for him, as he is so used to being practical, able to help in anyway he can. Jasper hunts more frequently than the rest of us.

Alice no longer can control her visions. She can go days without seeing anything, and then hours stuck in a vision. They never show the same thing. They seem to be painful and distressing, which has never happened before. She spends those hours curled up against Jasper, trembling and mumbling. Edward always stands in the room, watching with her. He leaves afterwards. Alice tells us that the visions show nothing, only snippets of things that make no sense. Bella is never part of those visions. Alice isn't herself. She smiles, but anyone that knows her well enough know that its fake.

Esme is as kind as ever, offering as much support to her children as she can. She is worried though, you can tell just by looking in her eyes. Sometimes, when we have a quiet moment, which is rare, she looks at the few pictures we have of our time with Bella. Esme thought of Bella the same way she thinks of the rest of us, as her child. She loved Bella, not just because of all that she did for Edward, but because she accepted Esme's love without question.

Rosalie doesn't speak to anyone other than me, and refuses to help. She spends her time in the house, or in the garage tinkering with her cars. For the first week that we were in New York, she protested ever move we made. She would constantly confront Edward, screaming words of abuse at him. Rose doesn't hate Bella, much to everyone's surprise, but she hates that she is having such an effect on our family. She doesn't agree with Bella's choices, claiming that she is throwing away her humanity. She would never tell any of this to the others, but she is worried about what will happen if we do find Bella. In a way, shes afraid that Bella will replace her. As much as my wife may seem unnervingly confident in who she is, and where she stands, she doubts herself constantly. She sees herself as disposable, the girl with the tragic story, but ultimately useless. Rose is anything but. The others don't give her credit, as she is able to hide her feelings and thoughts from Edward and Jasper. I worry about her constantly.

Carlisle still works, but not as much as he used to. There was no question as to whether he would find a job, as his passion is helping people. None of us expected him to cut down his working hours so much though. He only works two days a week, and the rest of the time he spends searching with the rest of us. Carlisle's medical background helps is useful in terms of searching for any official records and information about Bella, but there isn't much. Everything there is to see we already knew. Of course, we know most of the information is fake, only the records dated after her arrival at Forks is true. Her last name if false, and there are no records of any children under the name Isabella going missing at an early age. It would seem that everything we know about Bella is a lie.

The most difficult part of this though, is knowing that Bella has another family that she never told us about. Charlie told us that she has four brothers, and a father. He told us that she would do anything for them, was even prepared to die for them. From the sounds of it, Bella's whole life revolves around them. Yet she lied to us, deceived us so thoroughly that we never even questioned the lies. I can understand that the desire to protect ones family, doing anything to keep them safe. What bothers me is that we put everything on the line for her, risking our safety. Granted, she was at risk too, and she ended up being hurt because of it. Charlie said something that interests me, he said that if we threatened to separate Bella from her family, she would find a way to stop us. I believe the exact words he used were along the lines that 'she and her family would destroys ours'. Charlie may not know what we are, but he does know that we are not exactly normal. Apart from protesting, there wouldn't be much that Bella could do.

I want to help Bella, I truly do, but I don't think we should force her to do anything that she doesn't want to do. She is family to us, and we love and care for her, but she would only end up hating us if we ripped her away from her family. If we find her, I only want to make sure she is safe and happy. I don't know how far Edward is willing to go with this. Alice and Carlisle have seen the scars on her body, where I haven't. Maybe she is in danger, but she would be in danger if she were to stay with us. I honestly don't think Bella could ever live a life where there wasn't some kind of dangerous element to everyday survival. We left to keep her safe, and ended up almost getting her killed. Edward loves her, of that I have no doubt, and his heart is in the right place. I just don't think that he has considered where Bella's heart might lie. She obviously loves her family, and trusts them more than anyone. I know I would fight back against anyone who tried to take me away from my family against my will, so why should I expect Bella to react any differently?

Which leads us back to my current state of boredom. I've been running round the city for over three hours now, and its become tedious. Ever since we found Bella's scent around that store, we have focused our search to that area. Well, a fifty mile radius. The city's activities are quite repetitive. People coming home from work, crime, parties, drama. The only thing that changes is the people involved.

I'm the only member of my family searching tonight. Usually there were more of us, but tonight it was just me. Edward had wanted to search with me, but Carlisle had refused. I have a feeling that Carlisle is planning on speaking with him, but its none of my business. Carlisle is the only one who can even remotely control Edward, so its best to just let him handle it.

Luckily I had managed to find a spot on top of a building that gave me a perfect view of someones living room. A comedy is playing on the tv, not my usual taste, but I was happy to have something to distract me. There was nothing for me to follow anyway. I had visited the shop three times tonight to see if there was anything new, but there wasnt. The shop remained lifeless and dark. If I was perfectly honest, I'm surprised that no one has tried to break into it yet. Antiques are clearly displayed, and though they wouldn't be worth much at auction, you could fool anyone who isn't an expert to pay a fair price for them. There didn't seem to be any security either.

Checking my phone, I can see that I have no new messages. Sighing, I move from my position, beginning to run across the rooftops once more. There's a slight breeze, but nothing major. I look over the edge as I run across the dull concrete of the top of an apartment block. There are people milling around, waiting to cross the road or talking on their phones. Occasionally there is the odd business man, hurrying through the crowd, mumbling apologies as he bumps his shoulder into a passer by.

When I smell it, it makes my whole body freeze. There is no mistaking that scent. I could never forget it. Its been carried over by the wind, as its very faint. It is most definitely there though. I take a moment, breathing it in, making sure that my mind wasn't playing tricks on me. I feel the familiar burning sensation in my throat and notice that there is venom pooling in my mouth. My brother always did have a rather refined taste.

I launch myself to my right, running as fast as I can. No one can see me, as it is impossible for a human to see us when we are moving at such speeds. I jump over a gap between buildings, not even hesitating. I land perfectly, my body folding itself neatly before propelling forward once more. I have to check myself briefly, reminding myself that this is not a hunt. If Jasper had been in my position, I'm not sure he would have been able to keep control of himself.

I quickly find that there are other scents mixed in with Bella's. Unusual scents that cant quite be placed. They are not unpleasant, but not appealing either. Though, I'm not sure if that's because Bella's scent it simply overpowering any appeal they might hold. I've been running for over two minutes now, following my natural instincts. Judging by how potent the smells are now, another two minutes and I will be within reaching distance of them. It would appear that they are on a roof themselves.

Another minute and I can hear the heart beats. Months of listening to Bella's heart beat is not easily forgotten, so I can quickly identify which is hers. Its steady, and slightly faster than the others.

I suddenly stop. The smell is too potent. It can't simply be from her skin. She's bleeding.

Holding my breath, I start sprinting again. I can see them now, there are four of them, including Bella. They are standing close together, and are completely silent. The other three seem oddly deformed. The same height as Bella, but more sturdy. Thick limbs and wide muscles. They look like they are carry a backpack each, but the shape is all wrong. One is holding a bag, which is slung over their shoulder, resting by their thigh. They also appear to be wearing headbands, including Bella.

I leap onto the roof, and as I am approaching they all turn to face me. Its impressive, considering I wasn't making all the much noise. The only sound the brushing of fabric as my clothes moved. I landed in a crouch, before finally straightening and looking at them.

If my blood could freeze, I'm sure it would have. I had always thought that my family looked strange, even though we closely resembled humans. We didn't even compare to this.

Bella stood at the front of the group, wearing tightly fitting black clothes and armor, a white bandanna hiding her eyes. Her hair was braided back, completely exposing her face. The scar that was present last time could be seen, extending all the way down to the middle of her cheekbone. She had a twin blade fastened to her back, accompanied by a bow and arrows. She stood completely still, her facial expressions giving nothing away. There was a slight cut on her forearm, which is where the blood was coming from. Standing this close, it was difficult to focus my mind on anything else.

What was shocking however, was the three giant mutant turtles that stood behind here. Their skin was emerald, faintly reflecting the little light that reached our level. The ridge of their shells could be seen over their shoulders. They were each heavily muscled, wearing only knee, elbow pads and a belt that went across their middle section. All of them stood with their feet shoulder width apart. A fighting stance. They each wore a different colour bandanna also, Red, Blue and Purple. What I assume to be their mouths were set in a rigid line.

The one wearing red had two Sias strapped into his belt, hands resting on the hilt ready. The Blue one had Twin Katanas strapped onto his back, but his hands were resting by his sides, though looking at his shoulders, they wanted to be anywhere but. And finally the one in purple had a Boe staff in his hand, and a vial in the other. The liquid was light blue and appeared t have no scent.

All in all, it was a weird image.

"Emmett, I'm surprised it is you that came. I expected someone else." Bella didn't sound any different than you usually would. Though she was being strangely formal. It was a rather awkward situation I suppose.

"Sorry to disappoint. Bella, you are aware that you have three mutant turtles standing behind you right? Cause if not, I would suggest that you move." My words made the others tense, hands twitching to move towards their weapons. I'm not particularly worried, as there isn't anything they could do to hurt me. Steel is useless against us. However, if they pull out a flamethrower, I may have to start worrying.

"I'm well aware. It didn't take long for you to show up." Her eyes narrowed, though you could only tell by the thin slits in the mask and the movement of her brow.

"We've been searching for you, though I'm sure you knew that." The fact that they were expecting one of us to show up is confusing. "Charlie gave us a rather stern warning to stay away from you, yet here you are, deliberately trying to get our attention."

"Things have changed. We have no other option. My family needs help." A slight flinch traveled through them all, a tiny, sharp movement of the shoulders.

"And this is your family? Three mutant turtles wearing ninja costumes? Are these the ones that hurt you?" I heard a growl, and the one wearing red stepped forward, pulling his weapons out of his belt. To anyone else, a mortal, it would have been terrifying. The effect was slightly wasted in me however, as I knew that he couldn't hurt me, but I took a step back in caution.

"Your one to talk. After spending two days with you and your _family_ Bella was in intensive care! She was almost turned in to one of _you blood- _"

"Raphael, enough! This isn't helping the situation." The one in blue interrupted Raphael before he could finish his sentence, though it was clear that he agreed with him.

"Leo's right, this isn't what we are here to discuss. Emmett, I need to speak with Carlisle. He's the only one that can help. Your family owes me." Bella held her right arm out, blocking Raphael from advancing any further.

It was my turn to narrow my eyes. Bella was right, we did owe her, though I can't imagine what she might need. She had obviously kept her family a secret from us in order to protect them, but now she was revealing them to me on a rooftop? It doesn't add up. What could be so important that she would risk their safety like this.

"Emmett, I know you have no reason to trust me, as I've kept a lot from your family. I don't regret my actions though. If not to repay your debt to me, then I have something we can offer you, which will benefit us both. It will make life for you and your family easier, whilst also giving my family peace of mind." She looked over her shoulder, and motioned for the turtle wearing purple to move forward. This whole time he had been silent.

"It will be easier if you just consume it for yourself. We haven't been able to test this yet, but the results should be what we expect them to be. I'll explain after you take it." He had a very calming voice, and seemed to be of a gentler nature than the others. He did grip his weapon tighter as he handed me the glass vial containing the odorless blue liquid.

Call me an idiot, but I trusted them. Or I trusted Bella at least. If she really needed our help this much, and was willing to reveal her family to me, then there would be no logical reason for her to try and harm me. Also, as far as I am aware anyway, there is no substance that would be able to internally harm us, as the venom would attack it as soon as it entered our system.

I tipped my head back, swallowing the entire contents in one gulp. It burned as it traveled down my throat, though that might be because of the venom that mixed with it. The sensation passed, and then there was nothing. Nothing felt different. I looked at Bella, confusion evident in my features. Was she really planning on offering us a drink?

"It will take a minute to kick in. Your heart doesn't beat, so it has to travel through your system on its own rather than being pumped with your blood. Don't worry, its not going to hurt you." Bella reassured, standing next to the one wearing purple.

When it did take affect, the results were not what I expected. Even though Bella had said that it wouldn't hurt me, In still expected there to be pain. However, I experienced a slight warming sensation, like a flush across my skin. The city seemed to dull in volume, and the heartbeats of those around me slowly faded away until they were no longer there. The lights weren't quite as bright. I could still see everything around me, but where as before I could see the details of the brick work a few buildings over, now I could only tell that they were bricks and nothing more. I couldn't smell Bella's blood anymore, which by now had stopped flowing from the small cut in her arm. The burning in my throat was almost gone, now only a slightly irritating itch remained.

I'm sure my face must have been comical, as my mind almost shut down. I didn't feel warm per say, but I didn't feel icy like I used to. My skin would fold and yield to touch, which I discover when I tried pinching myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming. The whole situation seemed like a distant memory.

It felt like I was human.

"You will find that you wont be able to move as quickly as you were able to. You still have enhanced strength, but it isn't nearly the same as before. If you were to go out into the sunlight, your skin won't reflect the light. The formula works by nullifying the venom, to put it in simple terms. It weakens you, but no more than what it would take to make you human. Of course, if you were to consume too much, the side affects would be very unpleasant, but not enough to kill you. A dosage of that amount will last around 12 hours or so, give or take." The one in purple explained, now closer to me to examine with his eyes.

"This is what we can offer you. We can teach you to make this formula on your own, and you will be able to live a more normal life. A life for a life." Bella said. "This also gives us an advantage. Our weapons are coated in the formula, so if one of your kind were to attack us, it would only take one cut for us to be able to fight back. It would be extremely difficult to fight against one of you if you were at your normal strength, but it will give us a chance."

"... How did you manage this? We have been searching for something like this for years, but have never even come close! This is incredible!" I exclaimed, twirling around to examine myself. I still looked the same and felt normal, but it was all so difficult.

"My brother Don and some others are brilliant scientists and mechanics. We have some experience when it comes to strange chemicals. It took a few weeks of intense work." Bella said, smiling proudly at the one wearing purple. So Don was his name.

"This is incredible. But why would you need to make something like this?"

"We need your help, or rather Carlisle's help. I am well aware that Edward intends to take me away from my family, and there is no way that I can allow that to happen. This is a way to protect ourselves as much as it is a bargaining chip. If you agree to leave my family and I alone once we have all that we need, we will teach you how to make this. However, if your family tries to separate me from my family, the deal is off. These weapons and decorations you know, we do know how to use them."

I never thought that I would be intimidated by Bella, the small clumsy girl I met in Forks, but I was. Somehow I knew that she would use those weapons on us, and that they could do some damage. I don't think that they would kill us, but I can't be sure. I never thought it would be possible to create something that can make this body almost human, but they had already blown that belief out of the water.

"Alright, tell me what you need and I'll see what I can do."

**Thank you for reading, please leave a review!  
><strong>**Pinguxx **


	15. Needs must

**Wow, its been a very long time since I updated! Thank you to all those who have stayed with me! I'm sorry for the long gap, I really am. I hope you enjoy this chapter x  
><strong>**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or the Ninja Turtles. I would be so lucky.**

**Edward's point of view**

I knew that tonight was going to be different when Alice suddenly stopped having visions. Usually she has one or two per day. They don't have to be anything specific, they can be about the local news or the weather. Sometimes they are about things that none of us have any interest in. Being a mind reader, I know the future almost as soon as Alice does.

So when Alice stopped having visions last night, it didn't unusual. They can happen at any time. Though I would have expected her to have had one by now.

Mind you, I would prefer to be out of range from Alice right now. I should be out in the city searching. Carlisle won't allow it though. He insists that we take it in turns. Of course Rosalie refuses to take part, but I have long stopped caring about her dislike for Bella. And humans in general. I know Alice would also like to be searching tonight, but like me, she has reached her limit by Carlisle's standards. His reasons are that we need to take the time to hunt, and become accustomed to our new home in New York. We all know as well as he does that the second reason is a lie. However he refuses to explain.

It is Emmett's turn tonight. He has been searching the city for a few hours now, ever since the sun set and night fell. The issue with New York is, is that it is not under almost constant cloud cover, so we have to be more cautious about being seen during the day. The only way to make sure that we are not at any risk of being seen in the sun is to search during the night.

If I know my brother, he should be returning home around about now. I sigh and shake my head. There are still several hours that can be used for searching.

I prowl around the house, flitting from room to room. I briefly pause in the music room, staring at my piano.

"The last time you played was when Bella was here." I turn to see Esme behind me, looking past me and at the piano.

"I... yes. I played her lullaby for her." I swallow, though of course there's no reason for me to. A bad habit that I've picked up from spending time with humans.

"It might help if you-"

"No. I can't Esme. Not until I know that she is safe. It wouldn't be right." I run my hand gently over the ivory keys. As much as I miss playing, it wouldn't be right. I wouldn't be able to play without remembering every time she had listened sat next to me.

Esme sighed, walking over to me to place her hand on my shoulder. "It's all right. We'll find her."

"When? Alice can't see anything to do with Bella any more. There are no records of any Isabella Hamato or Swan anywhere apart from what we already know. It's like she doesn't even exist."

"But we know she does. We know her. We'll find her Edward, you just have to be a little patient."

"I want to believe you." She pats my shoulder again.

"When have I eve-" She stops suddenly, her eyes widening and her nostrils flaring. We both turn towards the source of the smell, coming from about a mile away.

"Its her" I breathe. I run through the house, heading for the front door, when suddenly Jasper is in front of me.

"Listen. She isn't alone" He tells me, and that's when I take notice of the other scents following her. I can clearly smell Emmett, but there are three other scents that I have never come across before. I listen, and I can hear them running towards the house. There are only four sets of footfalls though, not five. Faster than the average humans, but no where near vampire speed. Emmett isn't running, but why?

"Why isn't Emmett running?" Rosalie hisses, standing behind me. I turn to see that everyone has joined me, looking at me for some kind of explanation.

"I'm sure there is a reason. A very good reason." Carlisle soothes her, coming to stand beside me.

"She's bring people with her! Does no one care that she is bring strangers into our home?" Rosalie continues, turning to glare at everyone. "And more importantly that they have Emmett with them?"

"Emmett can look after himself. He isn't injured. Edward, find out what is going on." Carlisle continues.

I search for Emmett's thoughts, and it doesn't take me long to find the familiar tone of my brothers thoughts running through my mind. He isn't actually thinking any thoughts though, the only thing that is running through his head are images of the surrounding area. I try searching for the thoughts of those with him, but there is nothing. Complete silence from the four with him.

"Nothing. He isn't focusing on anything apart from what's around him." I growl, frustrated beyond belief. "We should run to meet them."

"No. We will wait for them to reach the house and meet them outside." Carlisle says, restraining me from moving by placing his hand on my arm. "We don't know what they want. Let them come to us and we will go from there." He looks towards the others, and when he is sure that no one will disobey releases my arms and leads the way outside.

I focus on their speed, feeling more impatient than I have ever felt before. I can easily pick out Bella's footfalls, lighter than the others. They are all running at the same pace, with Bella and one other in the lead. Moving as a group. One is heavier than the others, the one carrying Emmett. All of them are very fit, as their breathing is even and steady. Used to running long distances then.

None of this makes any sense though. Bella can barely walk without tripping over. So how is she managing to run at a fast pace without faltering even once?

"Edward" Esme murmurs, drawing my attention. I turn to see her looking towards the trees at the edge of the front garden, beyond the trees. One of the reasons that Esme chose this house is because of the similar designs it had to our house in Forks.

We all stare at the trees, mentally calculating how long it will be before they reach us. We cannot see them yet, though they are drawing closer. 10 more seconds... 9...8...7...6...

And then suddenly the running stops. There is no movement for a few seconds, before the footsteps continue, now with five sets of footfalls and at a much slower pace. They are walking to meet us.

What emerges from the trees would make my heart stop if it were still beating. I hear the others behind me gasp, an involuntary reaction. I however am incapable of any other reaction other than staring wide eyed at the scene before me.

Walking towards us are three giant turtles, one with Emmett on their back. They have thick and stocky limbs, that somehow manage to look lean despite the amount of muscles they have. Their skins are of varying shades of green, ranging from leaf green to dark emerald. They are all wearing brown leather knee and elbow pads, with a belt tied around their middle. They are also wearing bandanna's, one blue, one red, and one purple. Each one is carrying some form of weapon, and the one in purple is carrying a bag over his shoulder, he is standing towards the back of the group, standing beside the one wearing red. The one in blue is at the front of the group, with Emmett standing not too far behind.

My stare turns to Bella. She is wearing all black, with what seems to be armour beneath her clothing. Her hair is braided behind her, and her eyes are hidden behind a white bandanna. She also has a weapon strapped to her back. She is staring straight ahead, and from this distance it is impossible to tell where her gaze is directed because of the mask.

Each of their faces is set into a cold, hard expression, apart from Emmett, who's face is a careful picture of curiosity and sheepishness.

My family's minds behind me are screaming, wondering what is happening and what on earth is approaching us. Rosalie is quietly growling behind me, her attention fixed upon her husband that continues to walk behind one of the... creatures.

They stop before they reach where we are standing, around five metres away. Everything is deadly silent. What surprises me though is that every hear beat is steady. They do not seem to be afraid of us.

"Bella" I breathe, stepping forward slightly. The reaction is instant. The one in blue pushes her behind him whilst the one in red pulls his weapons from his belt. Bella is completely motionless. My family let out a low hiss behind me as Carlisle steps forward with his arms raised in front of him.

"Bella... We don't want to harm you, we swear. We've been worried." Carlisle voice is even and controlled, even as his mind fails to comprehend what he is seeing. One of the turtles snort, the one is red, tightening his hold on his weapons. I take a moment to see what they are. He's holding a pair of twin sais.

"Carlisle. Its been a while." Bella responds, still standing behind the one masked in blue. Oh, how I have missed hearing her voice. I tense to move forwards again, but the warning from Carlisle mind makes me freeze. _Don't. If you want to hear what they have to say, then don't move._ He doesn't turn to face me, and I glare at the back of his head. Bella continues.

"Charlie told me that you have been searching for me."

"Yes, we have. We were worried about you. You left so suddenly."

"I had things I needed to take care of. I'm sure you can understand that." Her voice is flat, and I almost wince at the implications behind what she is saying.

"I'm glad to see you are safe. Who are these... who have you bought with you?" Carlisle's mind fails to supply a word to describe the three turtle creatures surrounding her.

"They're my brothers. Three of them anyway." She goes to continue, but I can't hold my tongue any longer.

"They are turtles! Walking turtles. Carlisle, surely-"

"Don't. I'm not here to talk to you. I am here to talk to Carlisle. To make an offer." Bella cuts me off, staring directly at me. I never thought that I would see her look at anyone like that, with hate burning right on the surface, least of all me.

"An offer?" Carlisle cuts in, sending me another mental warning. I chose to ignore this one, but keep quiet anyway.

"I need your help. We need your help. Our farther is sick. He could even be dying. I cannot do anything more for him, not without help from a experienced surgeon."

"There is no other surgeon that can help him?"

"Look at my brothers. My family is hardly normal Carlisle. Our farther is not the same as us, I don't think you would believe me if I told you what he was. I don't even know if you can help us, but we have no other choice." Bella is looking at Carlisle now, all of her attention is focused solely on him. Her voice is slightly strained, the only factor giving away how serious she is. Before Carlisle can respond, the one in blue starts to speak.

"Dr. Cullen, my name is Leonardo. We do not expect you to trust us, as we certainly do not trust you. But we need your help. We are willing to offer something in return for services. Donatello has created a formula that will allow you to appear more human. We have tested this formula on Emmett, and as you can see it has not side effects. We can teach you how to make it, if you agree to help treat our farther."

Rosalie growled again, moving to run towards them before Jasper grabs her around the middle. Bella pulls her weapon from her back, holding one of the two blades close to Emmett.

"The formula hasn't hurt him. It has just made him slightly more vulnerable." The one in purple, Donatello, hurries to explain. "I can show you how it works, teach you how to make it yourselves."

When he notices our confused expressions directed towards Bella, and her weapon pointed towards Emmett, he continues.

"The formula makes it so that you are more human. That means that it makes you more vulnerable to physical attacks. Your strength and speed are lowered and your senses are dulled to slightly above the most elite of humans."

"Our weapons are coated in the formula" Bella states, holding the blade closer to Emmett "If one of you were to attack us we would be able to fight back. It would be extremely difficult, but one cut is enough."

Before, none of us were worried about the fact that they are carrying weapons with them, and when the one in red, that has yet to be named, pulled his sais from his belt it had been almost amusing. Now however, there was cause for concern. Had it been anyone else saying this to me, I would have assumed that they were lying. However, the absolute certainty in Bella's voice made it impossible to doubt her words.

"We don't want to hurt your family. That is not our intention. However we are aware of your intentions to take Bella away from us. She is our family, and she has been hurt by your kind before. We had to take precautions. As much as this formula has been invented to help your kind, it also allows my family and I to defend against you. I'm sure you can understand why we do not trust you." The one named Leonardo explained, again speaking directly to Carlisle.

"And you think that she is safer with you?" I spit out. Bella's attention focuses back on me, though she keeps her weapon level with Emmett's throat.

"How dare you. My life is not something that you get to decide, _Edward_. I am not some ignorant child that does not know how to take care of herself. I know how to use this weapon, we all know how to fight. What makes you think that you are safe from _us?_" She hisses, venom seeping into every one of her words.

I suddenly remember Charlie's warning from a few weeks ago, that if we threatened Bella or her family then they would find a way of destroying us. It seems they have found it.

Everyone is silent around us, not daring to move, or in some cases breathe.

"We don't want to harm you or your family Dr. Cullen. But we cannot risk you harming Bella again. We are here asking for your help because we have no where left to turn to. Will you help us?" Leonardo asks.

We all look towards Carlisle, completely still as we wait for him to make his decision. I can see that he has already made up his mind.

"Okay. What do you need me to do?"

**I know it is a little shorter than usual, but this is a very difficult scene to right. How exactly do you introduce vampires to mutant ninja turtles? Anyway, thank you very much for reading and please leave a review!  
><strong>**Pingu xxx **


	16. Agreeing to the terms and conditions

**Here we are with another chapter! I'm as shocked as you are that I have updated twice in two days. Thank you all for the lovely reviews on the last chapter, they really made me smile :)  
>Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT or Twilight. <strong>

**Bella's point of view**

Sitting in Carlisle's office, I feel more composed than I expected to. Looking around, I see that some of the furniture is the same as the office he had in Forks. The same paintings that had hung there now hang here. The same books are lined up on the shelves. Medical text books and old classics alike.

After Carlisle had agreed to help us, Leo suggested that we talk in more detail. The only condition being that it be alone, meaning that Carlisle's family had to leave. Of course they protested, but in the end they listened when Carlisle assured them that he would be fine. Emmett is still with us, but seeing as the formula is still in his system, he's of no threat. I glance over to him to see how he is, feeling slightly wary of him as not twenty minutes ago I was holding a blade to his throat. He seems fine, if not slightly reserved. That may be because he's in a room surrounded by three turtles though. It's been a strange evening.

"Thank you for agreeing to speak with us alone." I tell Carlisle, talking to him from the opposite side of his desk. He is sitting in his desk chair, elbows resting on the edge of the table. "The others... I feel they wouldn't allow us to talk about the things that we need to" I sigh. In truth I am speaking about...him. The others would maybe allow us to discuss what we need without bringing up the past, but he would not.

"I understand. I admit that I have questions of my own, but for now they can wait. What is it that you need?" He looks around the room, focusing on each of my brothers in turn, addressing everyone in the room, before focussing back on me.

"Our farther is sick. He has a condition called Bradycardia. We ran some tests and found that it is caused by Myocarditis" I run my hand over my face. I had removed my mask when I entered the house, seeing no reason to keep it on.

"That can be treated by antibiotics. I can prescribe you some."

"Antibiotics don't work. Human medicine doesn't work on my brothers and father the way that it should. Pain killers work, but anything more specific can have side effects"

"Is your father like your brothers?"

"No. Well, in a way, but not the same species. My brothers were mutated when they were young turtles. Our father isn't a turtle. He's a rat." I hear a laugh from behind me, and turn to see it is Emmett.

"Damn, and I thought our family was weird. That just takes the cake." He smiles at me, and I hesitantly return it.

"Their biology is different to humans. It's difficult to treat them. Wounds I can deal with, but diseases? That takes expertise that I simply don't have." bowing my head, I look at my hands.

"Our father is old for his kind. The mutagen has extended his life span. Raising and teaching us has been physically exhausting for him." Donnie carries on, coming to stand behind me and placing a hand on my shoulder. "Bella and I have done a lot of research so that we can treat ourselves and our family, but this is beyond us. Without help anyway."

"How is he now? What's his condition?" Carlisle leans back in his chair, folding his hands in his lap.

"He's stable. We have him under constant observation, hooked up to a heart monitor. He's getting weaker by the day, and there's only so much that pain medication can do for him. He's suffering." I choke on the last word, clenching my fist. Visions of farther pass through my mind, of him struggling to breath and hiding his pain. "He cannot do a lot of physical activity and his pulse is under 60 beats per minute. He's constantly tired. We've run as many tests as we can. There's nothing left to test."

"All the symptoms match, though you already knew this. He needs a cardioverter-defibrillator. They aren't difficult to get hold of, as the surgery isn't considered major. In fact the surgery is fairly minor." Carlisle muses.

"It's minor for humans. The ICD would have to be modified so that father's body wouldn't reject it. I can do that myself, that isn't the problem though." Donnie says.

"As we've said, his biology is different to humans. I am used to treating my family, but not like this. I cannot just research how to do this. I need practised hands that know what they are doing combined with my knowledge of my father's anatomy."

"There is no guarantee that this will work, even with my help" I look up at him, whilst my brothers shift behind me. "I know that you know this already, but I need you to understand that even with a human this surgery would be risky when your father's age is taken into account." He looks apologetic.

"We have to try. He's our father, what other choice do we have?" Donnie answers for all of us. No one says anything for a few moments.

"There are conditions though. To you working with us." Leo takes over, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. " We will teach you how to create the formula whether we are able to save our father or not. You do not need to worry about that, we will keep our word. However, no one other than you will be allowed near our home. Especially not your son."

My head snaps around, looking directly at Leo. His face is hard and his stance is tense. His hands are clenched into fists that he flexes a few times.

"I assume you are referring to Edward" At the mention of his name I hear Raph growl, but I don't turn to look at him.

"Yes. For obvious reasons, we do not want him anywhere near our home. You are also not to tell any member of your family its location either. We shall teach you how to make the formula in your home, so there is no need for anyone other than you to come to us."

"I assure you that my family will cause you no harm. We are not like others of our kind." Carlisle defends, placing his hands flat on the table.

"We are aware of your diet. Bella has informed us that you only hunt animals and not humans. However my brothers and I are not human, and neither is our father. The formula removes the urge to hunt though, so your blood-lust is not what we're worried about."

"We know that you have been searching for me, Carlisle. You may think that I am at risk, or not safe, but I assure you that I am safest with my brothers." I say quietly.

"If you are your family attempt to take Bella away, then we will use the formula against you. It is as much for our protection as it is for your benefit. We have been trained in the art of ninjutsu from an early age. Whilst it would be difficult for us to hurt you, all we need is one cut and that would be enough to weaken you. Our weapons are coated in it. Please, do not give us a reason to use them against you. We haven't come to you to threaten you, but if you do anything to hurt our family, then we will not hesitate to use them." Leo finishes, leaving no doubt in anyone's mind that he is completely serious. I watch Carlisle face as he processes his words, letting them sink in.

"We have to take precautions. Believe me, we will keep our word. We will not do anything unless we are provoked." I assure him, keeping my tone as earnest as possible.

I do not want to hurt the Cullen's. I never have. I would not have gone to Italy to help them if I wished them harm. However I will fight against them if I have to. I will not let anyone try to take me from my family again. I knew right from the start that one day I would leave Forks and never see the Cullen's again, as there was no way that I could leave my family behind. I would never become one of them, though at the time part of me wished that I could. There was a time when a very small part of me wished that I could join them somehow, though never at the cost of losing my family. This was before they left me, and before my love for Edward had started to fade. Now I am resolute that I will never make the same mistake again, and that I will never regret what I have. I need my family, and they need me.

"Carlisle. They aren't trying to trick us. The formula really does work. It hasn't hurt me at all. This is the closest to being human that we will ever get. I don't know how they've managed it, but they have. Surely that's more than enough. We can't take Bella away from her family, and from what I've seen there's no need to take her anywhere. She can more than take care of herself." Emmett says, and I am surprised by how sincere he sounds.

"Thank you Emmett" I murmur "I'm sorry about earlier, I realise that maybe it was uncalled for"

"That's okay Bella, we're cool" He winks at me, flashing me a goofy smile.

"I understand your concerns and why you have made the conditions you have. I'll help you, and find some way of keeping the others away." He sighs, standing up and moving towards the window behind his chair. "I can't say that they will be happy about this, but I'm sure that even they will be able to see that we need to respect your wishes. At least all but one will."

"If there is any breach in these conditions then everything is off. We take the formula and you cease treatment on our father. We can leave the city at any time, and go where you nor your family will be able to follow." Leo tells him. "We need your help, but we will not risk any harm coming to our family."

"I understand. I will find a way of keeping them from your home. It won't be easy, but I'll find a way."

"Of course once this is all over, there will be no further contact. Once this is done, we will not contact you again. And you will stop searching for Bella."

"Bella? Is that what you want?" I blink in surprise, seeing Carlisle looking directly at me. I can feel every gaze in the room is directed towards me. I take a deep breath before answering.

"Yes. It is for the best. I need to be with my family. They will be at risk if I continue to talk to you, and I need to keep them safe. They are in enough danger just existing in the city without adding vampires to the mix. Not to mention I... I just can't. There was always going to be a time when I would have to leave, and never come back. Always. When this is done, it will be the last time that you will see me, and that is what I want."

I can almost hear my brothers exhaling in relief behind me. I know that they were once worried that one day I would chose not to return to them. I suppose it was about time that I told them that there was never any doubt about whether I would come back or not. Carlisle continues to look at me, a sad smile on his face. After a few moments he nods.

"The others will be on their way back soon. Its a miracle that they stayed away for this long. They will want to know what is happening. And to talk to you, Bella."

"I don't think that it would be a good idea for me to talk to them. Some of them aren't willing to listen to what I have to say, and we need to be getting back home anyway." I look away from Carlisle, rising from my seat and moving to stand with my brothers. Raph pushes away from the book case he had been leaning on and walks to stand beside Donnie. It is only now that I realise that he hasn't said a word this entire time. I try to catch his eye, but her refuses to look anywhere than directly at Carlisle.

"The effects of the formula will wear off in a few hours. We do not know how suddenly this will come on. I advise that you brace yourself though. Over the last few hours you have come accustomed to not feeling the thirst that you usually do. This will come back, and you may find it difficult to control yourself when it does. I advise hunting as soon as possible." Donnie addresses Emmett, who nods and performs a mock salute in his direction. "Tell me if there are any problems. I don't think there will be, but I need to make sure. Let me know." Again, another salute.

"We will meet you tomorrow, where we met Emmett. You will be able to track our scent, so there is no need for us to give you directions. Emmett will be able to tell you. We will meet just after sunset. Remember, come alone." Leo warns, moving towards the door.

"Thank you." I tell Carlisle, and I move forward to shake his hands. It feels odd, I used to be so accustomed to how cold their skin is that I almost recoil when I feel it now. Mind you, I used to be able to hug Carlisle, and now hear I am shaking his hand instead. Carlisle must be thinking the same thing as me, as his smile is sad as he shakes my hand.

"It's my pleasure." He tells me before releasing my hand. I nod before turning to leave. As I walk past Emmett, he extends his fist towards me, which I lightly touch with my own before whispering "See you late big guy"

The others are waiting for me just outside the door, and they continue when I close the door behind me. I pull my bandana from around my wrist, where I had tied it after taking it off. I fasten it back into its proper position.

"The others will be coming back from the same direction that they left. If Carlisle is right, then they will already be on their way back, meaning that we don't have much time. If we want to avoid them, then we need to leave using the same route that we used to get here." I explain to the others. "We need to avoid leaving too many trails for people to follow our scents."

"Bella is right. It is easy enough for us to disguise our scents once we get closer to the centre of the city" Leo moves ahead of the group, falling into a light jog before speeding up into a brisk run. We run across the lawn, heading towards the trees that we had emerged from.

**I know this is a bit of a repeat, but it is important that the terms and conditions be made clear. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you so much for reading! Please leave a review!  
><strong>**Pingu xx**


	17. First impressions always matter

**I seem to be on a role at the moment. Once I started writing for this story again I can't seem to stop! Three chapters in three days, that must be a record for me. Anyway, ENJOY!  
><strong>**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT or Twilight**

**Carlisle's point of view**

Bella's home is... interesting to say the least. Quite remarkable too.

It's no stately home, which is to be expected. This situation would be a little too surreal if I had been lead to a large manor where four mutant turtles and a rat reside. When I learnt that we would be going underground, I wasn't all that surprised. Curious as to how they had managed to set up their home in the sewers, but not surprised. Before they allowed me to come underground, they asked that I take the formula. Seeing no reason to object, I obliged. They then blindfolded me so that I would not be able to recall the route we took. Very clever, making it so that Edward would not be able to find his way to their home by reading my mind. They really have taken every precaution.

Their home may not be a grand manor, but the size of it is impressive none the less. The ceiling is high, and there are two floors. The first floor has a large living area, set up with a wide variety of different sized TV screens and entertainment systems. There are wooden practice dummies placed in different places on the first floor. A deep pool is placed close to the entrance, with a bridge running over the top of it. A Dojo is in the corner, the door left open, and from what I can see there is a large amount of space inside, with several racks of weapons and other such training equipment. Looking into the other rooms on the first floor, I can see that there is a kitchen with a basic oven and other things you would expect to see. There is a work bench with an alarming amount of machinery placed on it and around it. It is obvious that this is not where it is usually placed however, as everything seems to be placed on top of each other. I can see another door, but cannot see inside the room. I try listening for any movement behind the door, and then remember the formula I have taken.

Looking above me, I see that there is a wide ledge running around the top floor, serving as a path connecting each of the doors. There are several ways to get to this floor, but I can see that most of them are for those trained in ninjutsu. However there is a metal staircase at the end of the room. I count 8 doors, and each of them are closed.

"There's more to the lair than this. We have a garage and a few more training areas set up around here. Not to mention fathers meditation room, which is behind the dojo." Bella tells me, walking beside me. She is dressed in normal clothing now, though it is still tight fitting. She catches me looking "I prefer to wear tighter clothing. We practice several times a day, and they are easier to train in as my movement isn't constricted." She shrugs.

"How did you find this place? I didn't think places like this existed, at least not under New York" I continue to look around, trying to take in as much as possible.

"Our old lair was destroyed. We had to find a new home, and father found this place. There are several places similar to this dotted around the area, if you know where to look. It's a long story"

"And how do you keep this place hidden?" Surely someone must have stumbled across them by now.

"We work very hard to keep this place hidden. There is only one entrance from the surface to here, but then you need a pass key. Donnie keeps our security up to date. I think we have one of the most sophisticated defence systems ever built because of him. You cannot find this place unless you know exactly where to look." I notice that when she speaks of her brothers, she sounds incredibly proud.

"This place is incredible." I say, because it truly is. How they have managed to make this place into a home is very impressive. I look over to see Bella smiling at me slightly. She gestures forward with her hands.

"Father is through here, Don is with him at the moment. Last I checked on him his vitals were good. If there had been any problems then I would have been called." The last bit was said more to herself than to me, so I keep silent and follow her into the room towards the back.

Again, I am completely taken away by the amount of equipment in the room. There are machines of all sizes around the room, and yet there is still a large amount of room to move around in.

Towards the side of the room, there is a bed, close to the wall but with plenty of room to move either side. A heart monitor is placed at the head of the bed, along with a drip. Laying in the middle of the bed is a large rat. He is short when compared to a human, his structure small and slightly hunched. His eyes are closed and his breathing is rough. He may also have a chest infection of some sort, which I make a mental note to mention to Bella later. The rat has thick grey fur. Somehow, he appears very human. Not in his features, but there is a certain aura around him. There is something about him that makes me feel that he is very wise, and has seen a lot in his time.

"How is he?" Bella asks, and it is only now that I notice Donatello is in the room. He is seated not to far from the bed, looking at a compute screen. Bella is checking his vitals, reaching out to take his pulse.

"There's been no change since you left. There was a point when I thought he might wake up, but he's remained unconscious the whole time." Donatello answers, turning the chair around to face her. He glances at me quickly, tensing a little before forcing himself to relax.

"He's been waking up for shorter periods of time, when he does wake up anyway." Bella mutters, fiddling with some controls. "Did you find anything?"

"There are some antibiotics for animals that we could try, ones specifically designed to treat rats. There aren't many, and they would need to be combined with human antibiotics. There's no guarantee that they would work." He sighs, rubbing his eyes "April has gone out to pick up as many as she can, and then she will take them to LH for him to analyse."

"Its for his chest infection." Bella says, talking to me now. "We know that we will need to develop some form of drug for after the surgery to prevent infection, we're already working on that. We have been for weeks. We cannot risk him developing anything more serious than a chest infection right now. Its dangerous enough that he has that as it is."

I turn when I hear a crash coming from one of the rooms opposite us. From the sounds of something heavy had just fallen over. Donatello and Bella sigh behind me.

"That's Raph. Don't take this personally, but he's not exactly thrilled your here. He's only holding his tongue because he knows we have no other choice" Donatello explains, giving me an apologetic smile.

"It's all right." I tell him. It is. I can only imagine that it is difficult for all of them to ask for help. They all seem very competent, very intelligent and skilled. It must be hard for them to admit they need an outsiders help. Not to mention an outsider that had been part of the reason a member of their family had been hurt. "May I?" I nod towards the bed, moving forward slightly.

"Of course." Bella steps back from the bed, and I move to take her place. I gently take his wrist into my hands, taking a moment to find his pulse. Usually when I do this, it is only for show, as I can already hear the patients heart beat. I haven't used this method for its intended purpose for a very long time. However, I am still a doctor, so it takes me only a moment to find the weak thrum of his pulse. I time two minutes on my watch, and count fifty-eight beats for each minute. The skin beneath the fur is cold and pale, also feeling very rough and dry. Now that I am paying attention, his fur seems to be slightly matted, lacking any kind of shine. His body isn't producing the natural oils that it usually would in order to maintain his coat. I may not be a vet, but I know that much.

"How long has he been on bed rest?" I ask, turning towards the monitor and drip to see exactly what he is taking.

"Awhile. We have all been healing for a few months now. We were... injured. Though master Splinter wasn't injured too badly, just a badly sprained ankle and some cuts and bruises. A few bruised ribs and one broken. His ankle is healed now. However he is old, so the fight took its toll on him. Combined with the stress of the situation and physical and mental strain, he was exhausted. He didn't allow himself much rest, not until I insisted that I could cope on my own with caring for my brothers. It was only after a few weeks that we noticed that he simply wasn't getting any stronger. He's been on bed rest for about two months now."

"Are you exercising his muscles?" I gently push at his muscles. They are very toned, but there is a slight stiffness to them.

"As much as we can. Master used to lead all of our training sessions, which were several per day. He is used to a lot of physical activity, so it is difficult to maintain his muscles when they have been trained to endure several hours of intense physical strain per day. We know how to keep fit though, so we have designed a strict regime of exercises that consist of stretching and light movement." Bella explains, searching through a pile of paperwork before pulling out a sheet and handing it to me. I scan over the page, having to double back every so often if I have read over something to quickly. This formula doesn't just affect your physical capabilities it would seem. The exercises recorded are simple, yet very effective. It is more intense than would be advised for a normal patient with this condition, however in these circumstances I can understand why.

"Would you like us to wake him. It's around the time that we would wake him anyway. We try to give him as much solids as we can, as the drip can only do so much." Donatello tells me, moving towards the bed and adjusting it so that Splinter was sitting up. "I'll go and get Mikey. By now he would have finished preparing the soup" he says as he walks out the room.

"Mikey is our youngest brother, the only one you didn't meet last night." Bella explained when she saw my confusion. "He didn't come last night as we needed someone to stay here and protect Master splinter."

"Why do you call him Master Splinter?" Its odd. They consider him their father, but they change how they refer to him as depending on who they are talking to.

"Because that is his name. We call him Sensei during training sessions, but outside of the dojo he is either Master Splinter or father." She gently strokes his fur, carefully running her fingers through the strands.

Donatello returns, this time followed by another turtle, this one wearing a orange bandanna, who I assume to be Mikey. Though, judging from the names of his brothers, I feel it wouldn't be too far fetched to assume that his full name is Michaelangelo. He is carrying a tray with a bowl and a glass of water. He eyes me warily for a moment, before moving on.

"Did you add the vitamins Mikey?" Bella asks. Michaelangelo nods.

"Yup. I followed the instructions that you gave me. I can tell you now, I'm glad that I'm not the one eating it." He scrunches up his face, gently placing the tray carrying the bowl of soup on the end of the bed.

"It doesn't matter what it tastes like Mikey, as long as it helps." Donatello tells him. Bella is now gently shaking Master Splinter, quietly calling his name as she does.

"Even so man, if I'm ever ill, just blend some pizza for me or something. Anything other than that. I may write that down, just so I don't forget" He muses, tapping a thick green finger again his chin.

"I'll make sure to include it in your health plan" Bella mutters sarcastically. Master Splinter is awake now, slowly blinking against the light. Donatello claps twice, and the lights dim a little.

"Sorry to wake you Sensei, but you need to try and eat something." Bella mutters, hand resting against his paw. He looks at her and smiles.

"It is all right my child." Michaelangelo picks up the tray once again, and brings it closer to the head of the bed. Splinter follows the movement, and then his attention focuses on me. "Who is this?" He asks, eyes narrowing. Bella is about to answer, but I step forward.

"I am Dr Cullen. I've been asked to help you" When he hears my name his eyes narrow further.

"Cullen?" He looks towards Bella, staring at her intently.

"Its okay father. He wont hurt us. We need him if you are to get better." She tells him, continuing to stroke his fur.

"Trust me, none of us are happy about it." Michaelangelo pitches in. "No offence dude, but your kind aren't exactly very popular around here." he points at me. There is no malice behind his words though. He isn't aiming to hurt or offend. He has a very easy going air about him, and I am suddenly reminded of Emmett. I have a feeling that the two of them would get along very well.

Master Splinter doesn't respond, instead shifting into a more upright position. He shakily takes the spoon into his hand and begins to eat the soup. He grimaces at the taste, but continues all the same. Bella and Donatello are watching his vital signs intently, and Michaelangelo seems to be keeping time with the heart monitor by tapping his fingers against his thigh.

A sudden shout from outside draws everyone's attention. After a few seconds, Leonardo enters the room with Raphael not far behind him.

"April just called. She says that The Foot have been trailing her for a few blocks now." Leonardo tells us. It must make more sense to the others, they all suddenly tense.

"We haven't seen any sign of them for months. They chose now to appear" Michaelangelo mutters.

"April has the antibiotics that Master Splinter needs." Bella tells him. Leonardo's eyes widen slightly before narrowing into thin slits.

"Karai. It must be." He growls. "We need to get to April" Donatello is moving around the room, placing small bits of machinery into the same bag her was carrying last night.

"We can't afford ta split up. Not with The Foot." It's Raphael that speaks this time. His voice is deep, deeper than his brothers anyway. He is looking around the room.

"Raphs right. We can't risk them outnumbering us." Leo confirms.

"We can't leave Master Splinter alone." Bella argues, leaning forwards toward the bed as if to shield Splinter.

"He won't be alone. I'll be here" All eyes focus on me. Raphael tenses. "I may not be at my full strength, but I am still stronger than the average human. And from the sounds of it you are all needed." I tell them, keeping my tone as calming as possible.

"If you think for one _second _that we are leaving him alone with a _va-_"

"Enough! You are all to go and help miss O'Neil. The more time you waste the more danger she is in. I will stay here with Dr. Cullen." Master splinter cuts in. His tone leaves no room for argument. Everyone in the room is silent for a moment before bowing their heads and muttering 'Hai Sensei'.

"We'll be back as soon as we can. Call us if anything happens." Bella places an oddly shaped phone in my hand as she passes by me. In the next second she is fastening her own mask around her eyes whilst heading out of the door. After a few seconds there is a slam of a door and everything is silent.

I turn back towards the bed, and see that Master Splinter is looking at me. No, not just looking at me. He is studying and observing me. Minutes pass before he goes back to eating his soup.

"Come, sit down. We have much to discuss."

**Well, what did you think? I love the idea of Master Splinter just calmly sipping soup whilst a vampire is in the room. Thank you all so much for you wonderful reviews! Do feel free to leave more any time!  
><strong>**Pingu xx **


	18. A strange power play

**My word I am so sorry that I have left it so long to update. Thank you all for waiting patiently and prodding me to update. I really hope you enjoy the chapter and I will try my hardest to make the updates more frequent.  
><strong>**Disclaimer : I hold no rights to TMNT or Twilight**

I cautiously move to sit on the bed, keeping my eyes fixed on the rat as I lower myself to the mattress, my body angled to face him.

"I'm sorry, but how do I address you? I'm not quite sure what the proper..." I trail off. In all of my years, I have never been unsure as to what to call someone, what with all the cultures I have come into contact with.

"Master Splinter will do just fine" He pauses with the spoon half way to his mouth to answer me, before continuing the movement and bringing the spoon to his mouth. We sit in silence for a while, giving me the chance to study the room again. It still amazes me how much they have managed to do with such little space.

"Impressive, isn't it?" I am startled by the sudden noise, and I twist back around to see that Master Splinter has set the bowl and spoon aside, and is now cradling the glass of water between his paws.

"Very. In all of my years I have never seen anything quite like your home" I tell him. He smiles gently, leaning back into the pillows slightly.

"You'd be surprised at what is hiding just beneath the surface of this world, Doctor Cullen. One only has to look hard enough"

"Master Splinter, if I might ask" I pause, waiting for him to nod before continuing "How have you kept yourselves hidden for so long?"

"My sons and daughter work very hard to maintain our home and its defences. We do what we can to keep our existence secret. Of course, that doesn't mean that we haven't be discovered. There have been times when we have been forced to reveal ourselves. Like now, for instance" He coughs slightly, moving an arm to wrap around his middle. I lean forward slightly, beginning to extend my hand only to drop it when he shakes his head slightly. "I am fine, it is only a cough" He says, wheezing slightly.

"I'm surprised that they turned to my family" I admit, bowing my head slightly "We haven't exactly given you much cause to trust us"

"Make no mistake, Doctor Cullen, this...trust that my children have in the agreement that they have made with you is based solely on the grounds that they know who they can and cannot trust. This is not that first time that we have been forced to ally with others we cannot trust for the sake of our own" He explains, his tone casual and relaxed.

"I am afraid that not all of my family will agree to the terms" I confide in him, noticing how his muscles tense as my words and continuing "My youngest son, Edward, will want to have contact with Bella. If I am honest, we all would, however we understand that that is not possible"

Master splinter sighs, taking a small sip from the glass in his hands before setting it down on the tray placed not too far away. He braces his weight on his hands, shifting his body into a more upright position before settling back once more.

"I have a limited amount of control over my children, Doctor Cullen, as I am sure you know that there comes a time when you must let them make their own decisions. I played no part in the decision to make an agreement with your family. If Bella has made the choice to have no further contact with you and your family, then I have no option but to respect that. I suggest that you remind yourselves that though she may be young in your eyes, she still has the right to make her own choices" His voice is stern but lacking bite. Not quite a warning, more of reprimand.

I take a moment to consider his words, shifting my position slightly and glancing at the monitor displaying his vital signs. They had not changed.

"I am sorry for the trouble we have caused you, Master Splinter." My tone in sincere and earnest, conveying the honesty behind my words.

"Apologies are only worth something if they are used to prevent further misdeeds" He replies with equal levels of sincerity. The way he says it makes me think that he knows and understands the true meaning behind his words, and I nod to show that I understand.

We remain silent for an extended amount of time, and I use it to test my senses. My hearing is dulled, to the point that I cannot hear much outside of this room. I can hear the faint whirring of machinery from the outside the room, coming from what I assume if the workstation I passed on my way here. I can smell a trace of the sewer outside, but considering our proximity it is surprising how clear the air is of its scent. My eyesight is dulled considerably, but it is not as noticeable as it was when I first took the solution. My body feels slightly warm, and my skin is more pliable than it was previously. What impresses me the most is the complete lack of thirst. Out of my family I have the best handle on my needs and urges, but this is truly remarkable. My throat is completely...normal I suppose is the only way to describe it. There is no thirst at all.

"My son Donatello has one of the most remarkable scientific minds this world has ever seen" I am jolted out of my thoughts by Master Splinters words. It's only now that I realise that I had wrapped my hand lightly around my throat and was stroking it with my thumb. "I often wonder where he developed such a thirst for knowledge of mechanics and science, as I have little to offer in that area"

"I've searched the world for something like this. Anything that would make us appear more human, and your son managed to create it in a matter of weeks..." I trail off, running my fingertips over my skin once again.

"Donatello could do a lot more if he had access to more equipment. Its a shame that such an incredible mind is confined to the underground." Master Splinter sighs, but there is a small smile on his face which suggests to me that his son isn't quite as confined to the sewers as he would have me believe.

"Tell me about your other sons. Leonardo, Raphael and... Michaelangelo" I am curious about their family dynamic. They are a family, and it is very clear that they all love each other, but I am confused about their chain of command.

"I am afraid that it is not my place to tell you. If they wish for you to know them, they will tell you what you need to know themselves. My sons are very private people. I'm sure you can respect th-" He cuts off suddenly, leaning forward to cough into his hands. I wait a few moments, to see it it would subside as it did before. When it continues, I stand and move closer to his side, placing my hand where his spine begins to curve and applying gentle pressure, whilst my other hand braces the front of his chest and guides him, straightening his posture and opening his airways slightly. After a few moments the coughing subsides, and I reach across him to take hold of the glass of water, bring the rim to his lips and encouraging him to take small sips.

Its then that I hear movement from outside the room. I can hear raises voices, and I realise that Bella and the others have returned from retrieving 'April' and the antibiotics. I look back at Master Splinter, making eye contact with him and moving away when he raises his paw a few moments later.

The others are getting louder now, and I can hear footsteps coming this way. Donatello is the first to enter the room, followed by a red haired woman. Donatello heads to the corner of the room where a small work station has been set up, rooting around in his bag as he moves things off of the table top to make room for a series of containers. The red haired woman moves towards the bed, but stops when she sees me standing by the bedside.

"It is alright, Miss O'Neil. Doctor Cullen will do you no harm." Master Splinter soothes her, gesturing forward slightly as I move away from the bed to put more space between the two of us. She looks between the two of us several times before squaring her shoulders and walking to his side, taking his paw in her hand.

"How are you Mat-" My attention is drawn away from their conversation by the shouting going on outside of the room, just beyond the doorway.

"For gods sake Raph, just let me ta-" Bella's voice is cut off suddenly.

"I am not being treated in the same room as the _bloodsucker!_" a voice, that I assume to be Raphael, roars. I notice Donatello flinch in the corner of the room before continuing with sorting out the boxes.

The sound of struggling follows the outburst. Michaelangelo and Leonardo enter the room, each holding onto on of Raphaels arms and pulling him forward. Bella follows them in, darting around them to bring a chair forward and pushing it towards the three. They push Raphael into the chair, holding him down by the shoulders. Its then that I see the gash across his shoulder. From here I can see that it is reasonably deep, in need of cleaning and stitching before being dressed. I glance at Bella quickly, seeing that she is collecting everything needed to do just that. I move slightly, intending to help her gather the things she needs but a growl stops me.

"Don't even think about it" Raphael glares at me, ceasing his struggling to properly focus on me.

"That's enough Raph" Leonardo says, glancing at me with an unreadable expression before glancing away again. "You're disturbing Master Splinter" He adds when he sees Raphael is about to make another comment, effectively stopping any further protests.

Bella is now laying out her supplies by Raphaels feet, preparing to disinfect the area and numb the skin. "I'll be as quick as I can Raph, but I need you to stay still." She taps the syringe, removing any air bubbles as she moves into a standing position, disinfecting the area around the cut before injecting the anaesthetic. Her movements are practised and confident, sliding the needle out of the skin once everything had been injected and placing it on a tray not too far away to be dealt with later.

"Bella, you're bleeding" Leo says, catching her hand before she can pick up the needle and sutures. Michaelangelo seems to become paler, eyes widening as he gasps slightly. Raphael tenses, straining his neck to see as Donatello abandons his work station to comes over.

"Its just the cut I made earlier. It opened up during the fight and I haven't had time to bandage it. All it needs is a plaster, I'm fine" Bella tells them, gently taking her wrist from Leonardos grasp and picking up the needle. "It's just a scratch"

"Bella, do you want me to..." I trial off when she shakes her head and begins to stitch the wound, taking her time.

"Not necessary" She tells me, keeping her eyes fixed on the task at hand. "This'll go much quicker if I do it" She doesn't need to explain why.

"April, are these the antibiotics from the hospital or from the vets?" Donatello interjects, having returned to his workstation.

"From the hospital. Casey is bringing the ones from the vets over from my apartment. I figured it would be of more use to you to start adapting the ones from the hospital" April explains, patting Master Splinters hand quickly and making her way over to Donatello.

"You're right. I'll need someone to call LH and have him come over here. Bella, I'll need you to take a blood sample from Master Splinter" Donatello says as he begins to select solutions and prepare Petri dishes.

"I can't take too much Donnie. His blood is already thin enough and there's only so much that central heating and blankets can do for him" Bella replies, finishing off stitching the wound and preparing to tie off the end, dabbing away the remaining blood.

"As much as you can. I need enough to be able to divide it between several samples. I think we still have some frozen but fresh would be better if we can"

I stand back and watch as they talk, noticing the others in the room doing the same. They all know their place in the system. Though its obvious that when it comes to the higher decisions, Leonardo holds the most authority, Donatello and Bella hold the expertise in this field so he had no choice but to trust their judgement.

"Guys" He interjects, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. "Tell us what you need us to do and we'll do it"

Donnie and Bella look at each other, nodding slightly before turning to address the room at large.

"Well..."

**I hope you enjoyed it, and once again, I'm sorry I have left it so long between updates.  
><strong>**Pingu xx **


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